After being crushed by his own set, Eddie Riggs awakens to a bizarre world of heavy metal that would be nightmarish for some but not for him. He feels right at home in a dimension of demons, hot rods and monoliths.

This is the world of "Brutal Legend" - part game, part tribute to all things metal.

"Don't you want to return to your own world?" he's asked early on. "Ehhhh" is his reply.

Upon his revival, Riggs finds two axes - one a giant bladed weapon, the other his beloved guitar, Clementine.

The former can hack through the enemies who attack him; the latter can produce bolts of lightning and blasts of pyrotechnics, a definite upgrade. And he can play riffs on Clementine to raise relics from the ground or melt the faces right off his foes.

It's that sort of turned-up-to-11 feeling that makes "Brutal Legend" so entertaining despite some flaws in the game play.

It doesn't hurt that the visuals, animation, heavy-metal soundtrack and vocal casting are all terrific. Jack Black is the basis for Eddie, and the Tenacious D band member and actor is spot-on in the role. Tim Curry brings his voice to the demonic Dovilicus, and Ozzy Osbourne comes sailing out of a lava pit to hawk upgrades for Eddie's roadster and weapons.

There are plenty of other recognizable voices as well, such as comedian and Sacramento native Brian Posehn in the role of a cranky hunter who looks just like ... Brian Posehn.

The main portion of the game is an open world. Eddie can tool around in his roadster, stopping to free imprisoned dragon statues, unearth relics and such. His dual axes can be used to attack enemies in a variety of ways.

As Eddie completes missions, he'll gather followers from among the human population, which has been enslaved by Dovilicus and his lackey Lionwhyte (a glam rocker with hair so fabulously feathered that he can fly with it). Once Eddie and his compatriots have a large enough army, the game starts throwing Stage Battles the player's way.

In these, Eddie directs and leads squads of his followers: close-combat Headbangers, stealthy Roadies, bruising Bouncers and more.

It's hard to keep track of Eddie's troops, and the controls for ordering attacks are a bit clunky and imprecise. But as Black himself sings in one Tenacious D song: "Rock is not the Devil's work, it's magical and rad."

And so is "Brutal Legend."

BRUTAL LEGEND

3 1/2 stars

PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3, also for Microsoft Xbox 360

PRICE: $59.99

AGE RATING: Mature

Dead Space: Extraction

2 1/2 stars

This prequel to last year's creepy monsters-in-outer-space horror game "Dead Space" keeps the shooting action intact but takes the exploration away.

This is one of the best-looking games on the Wii. It's not as sharp as the original game, but the look of the "Dead Space" universe is fully intact. The sound design and voice acting are also excellent. But the game reduces the player's role to that of a cursor on the screen; the viewpoint character always moves on his own, choosing routes to take and directions to face.

It's the player's job to shoot at the various monsters and objects that litter the playing field; there's no going back for anything missed. Sometimes the player is free to look around an area for a limited time or to choose from multiple paths, but otherwise the game is on rails.

The lack of control is a little annoying, but "Dead Space: Extraction" makes a pretty fine shooting gallery. Players have to aim at the monsters' limbs to take them down effectively, and each weapon has two modes of fire to make it happen. A second player can join in, as well.

Nintendo Wii; $49.99

Age rating: Mature

Saw

2 stars

Based on the long-running series of horror movies (the most recent of which opened last week), "Saw" puts the player in control of a character from the first film as he tries to make his way through a derelict asylum filled with traps laid by the Jigsaw Killer.

The game is gory and atmospheric, but the game play isn't anything special. Combat is pretty basic, and the puzzles range from timed button presses to item hunts to more elaborate setups for major traps.

Jigsaw's MO is to teach hard lessons, and the player, as Detective Tapp, is his latest pupil. Jigsaw has captured several people involved in Tapp's investigation or otherwise close to him, and has installed them into elaborate and deadly contraptions. Tapp must rescue them if he can.

As Tapp searches for the clues and items he needs to progress, he must avoid and disarm numerous traps, such as shotgun-rigged doors, and avoid or defeat other prisoners of Jigsaw who have been told the key to their release is the one surgically embedded inside Tapp himself.

Sony PlayStation 3, also for Microsoft Xbox 360, PC (on Oct. 31); $59.99

Age rating: Mature

- Justin Hoeger

After being crushed by his own set, Eddie Riggs awakens to a bizarre world of heavy metal that would be nightmarish for some but not for him. He feels right at home in a dimension of demons, hot rods and monoliths.

This is the world of "Brutal Legend" - part game, part tribute to all things metal.

"Don't you want to return to your own world?" he's asked early on. "Ehhhh" is his reply.

Upon his revival, Riggs finds two axes - one a giant bladed weapon, the other his beloved guitar, Clementine.

The former can hack through the enemies who attack him; the latter can produce bolts of lightning and blasts of pyrotechnics, a definite upgrade. And he can play riffs on Clementine to raise relics from the ground or melt the faces right off his foes.

It's that sort of turned-up-to-11 feeling that makes "Brutal Legend" so entertaining despite some flaws in the game play.

It doesn't hurt that the visuals, animation, heavy-metal soundtrack and vocal casting are all terrific. Jack Black is the basis for Eddie, and the Tenacious D band member and actor is spot-on in the role. Tim Curry brings his voice to the demonic Dovilicus, and Ozzy Osbourne comes sailing out of a lava pit to hawk upgrades for Eddie's roadster and weapons.

There are plenty of other recognizable voices as well, such as comedian and Sacramento native Brian Posehn in the role of a cranky hunter who looks just like ... Brian Posehn.

The main portion of the game is an open world. Eddie can tool around in his roadster, stopping to free imprisoned dragon statues, unearth relics and such. His dual axes can be used to attack enemies in a variety of ways.

As Eddie completes missions, he'll gather followers from among the human population, which has been enslaved by Dovilicus and his lackey Lionwhyte (a glam rocker with hair so fabulously feathered that he can fly with it). Once Eddie and his compatriots have a large enough army, the game starts throwing Stage Battles the player's way.

In these, Eddie directs and leads squads of his followers: close-combat Headbangers, stealthy Roadies, bruising Bouncers and more.

It's hard to keep track of Eddie's troops, and the controls for ordering attacks are a bit clunky and imprecise. But as Black himself sings in one Tenacious D song: "Rock is not the Devil's work, it's magical and rad."

And so is "Brutal Legend."

BRUTAL LEGEND

3 1/2 stars

PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3, also for Microsoft Xbox 360

PRICE: $59.99

AGE RATING: Mature

Dead Space: Extraction

2 1/2 stars

This prequel to last year's creepy monsters-in-outer-space horror game "Dead Space" keeps the shooting action intact but takes the exploration away.

This is one of the best-looking games on the Wii. It's not as sharp as the original game, but the look of the "Dead Space" universe is fully intact. The sound design and voice acting are also excellent. But the game reduces the player's role to that of a cursor on the screen; the viewpoint character always moves on his own, choosing routes to take and directions to face.

It's the player's job to shoot at the various monsters and objects that litter the playing field; there's no going back for anything missed. Sometimes the player is free to look around an area for a limited time or to choose from multiple paths, but otherwise the game is on rails.

The lack of control is a little annoying, but "Dead Space: Extraction" makes a pretty fine shooting gallery. Players have to aim at the monsters' limbs to take them down effectively, and each weapon has two modes of fire to make it happen. A second player can join in, as well.

Nintendo Wii; $49.99

Age rating: Mature

Saw

2 stars

Based on the long-running series of horror movies (the most recent of which opened last week), "Saw" puts the player in control of a character from the first film as he tries to make his way through a derelict asylum filled with traps laid by the Jigsaw Killer.

The game is gory and atmospheric, but the game play isn't anything special. Combat is pretty basic, and the puzzles range from timed button presses to item hunts to more elaborate setups for major traps.

Jigsaw's MO is to teach hard lessons, and the player, as Detective Tapp, is his latest pupil. Jigsaw has captured several people involved in Tapp's investigation or otherwise close to him, and has installed them into elaborate and deadly contraptions. Tapp must rescue them if he can.

As Tapp searches for the clues and items he needs to progress, he must avoid and disarm numerous traps, such as shotgun-rigged doors, and avoid or defeat other prisoners of Jigsaw who have been told the key to their release is the one surgically embedded inside Tapp himself.

Sony PlayStation 3, also for Microsoft Xbox 360, PC (on Oct. 31); $59.99

Age rating: Mature

- Justin Hoeger

After being crushed by his own set, Eddie Riggs awakens to a bizarre world of heavy metal that would be nightmarish for some but not for him. He feels right at home in a dimension of demons, hot rods and monoliths.

This is the world of "Brutal Legend" - part game, part tribute to all things metal.

"Don't you want to return to your own world?" he's asked early on. "Ehhhh" is his reply.

Upon his revival, Riggs finds two axes - one a giant bladed weapon, the other his beloved guitar, Clementine.

The former can hack through the enemies who attack him; the latter can produce bolts of lightning and blasts of pyrotechnics, a definite upgrade. And he can play riffs on Clementine to raise relics from the ground or melt the faces right off his foes.

It's that sort of turned-up-to-11 feeling that makes "Brutal Legend" so entertaining despite some flaws in the game play.

It doesn't hurt that the visuals, animation, heavy-metal soundtrack and vocal casting are all terrific. Jack Black is the basis for Eddie, and the Tenacious D band member and actor is spot-on in the role. Tim Curry brings his voice to the demonic Dovilicus, and Ozzy Osbourne comes sailing out of a lava pit to hawk upgrades for Eddie's roadster and weapons.

There are plenty of other recognizable voices as well, such as comedian and Sacramento native Brian Posehn in the role of a cranky hunter who looks just like ... Brian Posehn.

The main portion of the game is an open world. Eddie can tool around in his roadster, stopping to free imprisoned dragon statues, unearth relics and such. His dual axes can be used to attack enemies in a variety of ways.

As Eddie completes missions, he'll gather followers from among the human population, which has been enslaved by Dovilicus and his lackey Lionwhyte (a glam rocker with hair so fabulously feathered that he can fly with it). Once Eddie and his compatriots have a large enough army, the game starts throwing Stage Battles the player's way.

In these, Eddie directs and leads squads of his followers: close-combat Headbangers, stealthy Roadies, bruising Bouncers and more.

It's hard to keep track of Eddie's troops, and the controls for ordering attacks are a bit clunky and imprecise. But as Black himself sings in one Tenacious D song: "Rock is not the Devil's work, it's magical and rad."

And so is "Brutal Legend."

BRUTAL LEGEND

3 1/2 stars

PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3, also for Microsoft Xbox 360

PRICE: $59.99

AGE RATING: Mature

Dead Space: Extraction

2 1/2 stars

This prequel to last year's creepy monsters-in-outer-space horror game "Dead Space" keeps the shooting action intact but takes the exploration away.

This is one of the best-looking games on the Wii. It's not as sharp as the original game, but the look of the "Dead Space" universe is fully intact. The sound design and voice acting are also excellent. But the game reduces the player's role to that of a cursor on the screen; the viewpoint character always moves on his own, choosing routes to take and directions to face.

It's the player's job to shoot at the various monsters and objects that litter the playing field; there's no going back for anything missed. Sometimes the player is free to look around an area for a limited time or to choose from multiple paths, but otherwise the game is on rails.

The lack of control is a little annoying, but "Dead Space: Extraction" makes a pretty fine shooting gallery. Players have to aim at the monsters' limbs to take them down effectively, and each weapon has two modes of fire to make it happen. A second player can join in, as well.

Nintendo Wii; $49.99

Age rating: Mature

Saw

2 stars

Based on the long-running series of horror movies (the most recent of which opened last week), "Saw" puts the player in control of a character from the first film as he tries to make his way through a derelict asylum filled with traps laid by the Jigsaw Killer.

The game is gory and atmospheric, but the game play isn't anything special. Combat is pretty basic, and the puzzles range from timed button presses to item hunts to more elaborate setups for major traps.

Jigsaw's MO is to teach hard lessons, and the player, as Detective Tapp, is his latest pupil. Jigsaw has captured several people involved in Tapp's investigation or otherwise close to him, and has installed them into elaborate and deadly contraptions. Tapp must rescue them if he can.

As Tapp searches for the clues and items he needs to progress, he must avoid and disarm numerous traps, such as shotgun-rigged doors, and avoid or defeat other prisoners of Jigsaw who have been told the key to their release is the one surgically embedded inside Tapp himself.

Sony PlayStation 3, also for Microsoft Xbox 360, PC (on Oct. 31); $59.99

Age rating: Mature

- Justin Hoeger

"Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story," features the big lizard and his minions.

Mario and Luigi team up again for their third portable RPG adventure, but this time, archenemy Bowser is along for the ride.

Actually, it's the other way around. After being tricked into eating a magic mushroom by recurring baddie Fawful, Bowser turns into a giant reptilian vacuum and inhales Mario, Luigi and Princess Toadstool, along with many other inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom and a bunch of random junk.

Fawful, in the meantime, takes over both Bowser's castle and the Princess's, leaving everyone with a common enemy. So, incognito, the Mario Brothers make their way through Bowser's dangerous innards, working to strengthen him for his battles and find items for their own use as the big turtle- lizard stomps his way through the kingdom.

"Bowser's Inside Story's" graphics are 2-D, and everything looks great; the animation in particular is very fluid and full of character. And as in the previous games, the writing is imaginative and humorous, with in-jokes scattered about for those who will recognize them.

The game play is similar to the previous games. Mario and Luigi move as a unit and are controlled with one button each, but now players can switch their control to Bowser at will. The interior sections of the game are arranged like a classic 2-D platformer while the external ones are played from the overhead perspective of previous "Mario & Luigi" games.

What the brothers do affects Bowser and vice versa – Bowser can drink water to create swimming areas inside himself, for instance, or swallow enemies that the boys can beat up on. And Mario and Luigi will have to actually increase their longtime foe's strength (stimulating a muscle to allow him to haul an island in from sea, for example).

The turn-based battle system is based on timing, as usual. Mario and Luigi do their usual hop-and-bop move, where good timing is rewarded with extra damage. They'll quickly gain hammers that are good for dealing with spiky-headed foes and can learn several special attacks by finding puzzle pieces scattered around the various areas of Bowser's body.

They won't spend all their time inside the big guy, either.

Bowser fights alone, using strong punches and fire breath. He's bigger, meaner and tougher than the bros, but he needs their help, even if he doesn't know it. He'll also become huge for certain boss fights. Outside of battle, he can bust through barriers and burn down trees and other obstacles in his way.

PICKS AND PANS

Beaterator

3 stars

"Beaterator" is a music-making program that allows users to share songs online, create their own loops and generally mess around with a hand-held piece of sequencing software. The more technical aspects of the interface are tricky to get the hang of, and there's no goal besides making music, but it's a neat title nonetheless.

The game features a hefty selection of ready-made guitar, drum, bass, high-hat, ambient, synth and other kinds of loops, many of which were crafted by producer Timbaland.

Each of the eight tracks in a song can have up to four loops a player can turn on or off at will. Players can jump right in with Live Play, which chooses a selection of loops for the player. (These can easily be exchanged for others.) Put together a set of loops, press "record" and make a song on the fly – it's pretty simple.

More complex are the Studio Session and Song Crafter, which allow finer control over aspects of a song, including the option to craft unique loops that are not included in the game, add various effects and alter samples, and record sounds and vocals with a microphone for use in the game.

Sony PlayStation Portable; $39.99 • Age rating: Everyone

Mr. Driller

3 stars

The goal in "Mr. Driller W" is to dig to the bottom of a pastel-colored mining pit as fast as possible without getting squished by falling blocks or running out of air.

It's a combination of action game and puzzle game. As one of several miners with slightly differing abilities, the player can dig down or sideways, or drill upward to destroy a block overhead.

It's often possible to dig straight down for a time, but some blocks are extra-hard to destroy and take away a hefty amount of oxygen, and that oxygen can only be replenished by capsules buried in various areas of the playing field.

One way or another, players will eventually have to delve toward the sides of the pit, which will often disrupt clumps of blocks and cause them to fall. This can be both a benefit (a chain reaction of falling blocks can be worth a lot of points), and a danger (falling blocks can crush the player's driller).

Nintendo Wii (WiiWare download); $8 (800 Nintendo Points)• Age rating: Everyone

– Justin Hoeger

"Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story," features the big lizard and his minions.

Mario and Luigi team up again for their third portable RPG adventure, but this time, archenemy Bowser is along for the ride.

Actually, it's the other way around. After being tricked into eating a magic mushroom by recurring baddie Fawful, Bowser turns into a giant reptilian vacuum and inhales Mario, Luigi and Princess Toadstool, along with many other inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom and a bunch of random junk.

Fawful, in the meantime, takes over both Bowser's castle and the Princess's, leaving everyone with a common enemy. So, incognito, the Mario Brothers make their way through Bowser's dangerous innards, working to strengthen him for his battles and find items for their own use as the big turtle- lizard stomps his way through the kingdom.

"Bowser's Inside Story's" graphics are 2-D, and everything looks great; the animation in particular is very fluid and full of character. And as in the previous games, the writing is imaginative and humorous, with in-jokes scattered about for those who will recognize them.

The game play is similar to the previous games. Mario and Luigi move as a unit and are controlled with one button each, but now players can switch their control to Bowser at will. The interior sections of the game are arranged like a classic 2-D platformer while the external ones are played from the overhead perspective of previous "Mario & Luigi" games.

What the brothers do affects Bowser and vice versa – Bowser can drink water to create swimming areas inside himself, for instance, or swallow enemies that the boys can beat up on. And Mario and Luigi will have to actually increase their longtime foe's strength (stimulating a muscle to allow him to haul an island in from sea, for example).

The turn-based battle system is based on timing, as usual. Mario and Luigi do their usual hop-and-bop move, where good timing is rewarded with extra damage. They'll quickly gain hammers that are good for dealing with spiky-headed foes and can learn several special attacks by finding puzzle pieces scattered around the various areas of Bowser's body.

They won't spend all their time inside the big guy, either.

Bowser fights alone, using strong punches and fire breath. He's bigger, meaner and tougher than the bros, but he needs their help, even if he doesn't know it. He'll also become huge for certain boss fights. Outside of battle, he can bust through barriers and burn down trees and other obstacles in his way.

PICKS AND PANS

Beaterator

3 stars

"Beaterator" is a music-making program that allows users to share songs online, create their own loops and generally mess around with a hand-held piece of sequencing software. The more technical aspects of the interface are tricky to get the hang of, and there's no goal besides making music, but it's a neat title nonetheless.

The game features a hefty selection of ready-made guitar, drum, bass, high-hat, ambient, synth and other kinds of loops, many of which were crafted by producer Timbaland.

Each of the eight tracks in a song can have up to four loops a player can turn on or off at will. Players can jump right in with Live Play, which chooses a selection of loops for the player. (These can easily be exchanged for others.) Put together a set of loops, press "record" and make a song on the fly – it's pretty simple.

More complex are the Studio Session and Song Crafter, which allow finer control over aspects of a song, including the option to craft unique loops that are not included in the game, add various effects and alter samples, and record sounds and vocals with a microphone for use in the game.

Sony PlayStation Portable; $39.99 • Age rating: Everyone

Mr. Driller

3 stars

The goal in "Mr. Driller W" is to dig to the bottom of a pastel-colored mining pit as fast as possible without getting squished by falling blocks or running out of air.

It's a combination of action game and puzzle game. As one of several miners with slightly differing abilities, the player can dig down or sideways, or drill upward to destroy a block overhead.

It's often possible to dig straight down for a time, but some blocks are extra-hard to destroy and take away a hefty amount of oxygen, and that oxygen can only be replenished by capsules buried in various areas of the playing field.

One way or another, players will eventually have to delve toward the sides of the pit, which will often disrupt clumps of blocks and cause them to fall. This can be both a benefit (a chain reaction of falling blocks can be worth a lot of points), and a danger (falling blocks can crush the player's driller).

Nintendo Wii (WiiWare download); $8 (800 Nintendo Points)• Age rating: Everyone

– Justin Hoeger

"Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story," features the big lizard and his minions.

Mario and Luigi team up again for their third portable RPG adventure, but this time, archenemy Bowser is along for the ride.

Actually, it's the other way around. After being tricked into eating a magic mushroom by recurring baddie Fawful, Bowser turns into a giant reptilian vacuum and inhales Mario, Luigi and Princess Toadstool, along with many other inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom and a bunch of random junk.

Fawful, in the meantime, takes over both Bowser's castle and the Princess's, leaving everyone with a common enemy. So, incognito, the Mario Brothers make their way through Bowser's dangerous innards, working to strengthen him for his battles and find items for their own use as the big turtle- lizard stomps his way through the kingdom.

"Bowser's Inside Story's" graphics are 2-D, and everything looks great; the animation in particular is very fluid and full of character. And as in the previous games, the writing is imaginative and humorous, with in-jokes scattered about for those who will recognize them.

The game play is similar to the previous games. Mario and Luigi move as a unit and are controlled with one button each, but now players can switch their control to Bowser at will. The interior sections of the game are arranged like a classic 2-D platformer while the external ones are played from the overhead perspective of previous "Mario & Luigi" games.

What the brothers do affects Bowser and vice versa – Bowser can drink water to create swimming areas inside himself, for instance, or swallow enemies that the boys can beat up on. And Mario and Luigi will have to actually increase their longtime foe's strength (stimulating a muscle to allow him to haul an island in from sea, for example).

The turn-based battle system is based on timing, as usual. Mario and Luigi do their usual hop-and-bop move, where good timing is rewarded with extra damage. They'll quickly gain hammers that are good for dealing with spiky-headed foes and can learn several special attacks by finding puzzle pieces scattered around the various areas of Bowser's body.

They won't spend all their time inside the big guy, either.

Bowser fights alone, using strong punches and fire breath. He's bigger, meaner and tougher than the bros, but he needs their help, even if he doesn't know it. He'll also become huge for certain boss fights. Outside of battle, he can bust through barriers and burn down trees and other obstacles in his way.

PICKS AND PANS

Beaterator

3 stars

"Beaterator" is a music-making program that allows users to share songs online, create their own loops and generally mess around with a hand-held piece of sequencing software. The more technical aspects of the interface are tricky to get the hang of, and there's no goal besides making music, but it's a neat title nonetheless.

The game features a hefty selection of ready-made guitar, drum, bass, high-hat, ambient, synth and other kinds of loops, many of which were crafted by producer Timbaland.

Each of the eight tracks in a song can have up to four loops a player can turn on or off at will. Players can jump right in with Live Play, which chooses a selection of loops for the player. (These can easily be exchanged for others.) Put together a set of loops, press "record" and make a song on the fly – it's pretty simple.

More complex are the Studio Session and Song Crafter, which allow finer control over aspects of a song, including the option to craft unique loops that are not included in the game, add various effects and alter samples, and record sounds and vocals with a microphone for use in the game.

Sony PlayStation Portable; $39.99 • Age rating: Everyone

Mr. Driller

3 stars

The goal in "Mr. Driller W" is to dig to the bottom of a pastel-colored mining pit as fast as possible without getting squished by falling blocks or running out of air.

It's a combination of action game and puzzle game. As one of several miners with slightly differing abilities, the player can dig down or sideways, or drill upward to destroy a block overhead.

It's often possible to dig straight down for a time, but some blocks are extra-hard to destroy and take away a hefty amount of oxygen, and that oxygen can only be replenished by capsules buried in various areas of the playing field.

One way or another, players will eventually have to delve toward the sides of the pit, which will often disrupt clumps of blocks and cause them to fall. This can be both a benefit (a chain reaction of falling blocks can be worth a lot of points), and a danger (falling blocks can crush the player's driller).

Nintendo Wii (WiiWare download); $8 (800 Nintendo Points)• Age rating: Everyone

– Justin Hoeger

Players must choose their allegiance between good and evil in "Dissidia: Final Fantasy."

"Dissidia: Final Fantasy," with a cast drawn from Square Enix's long- running RPG series, answers the age-old question: Who would win in a fight between Tidus and Sephiroth? Or Cloud and Kefka?

Yes, "Dissidia" is a fighting game, but this isn't "Soul Calibur" or "Street Fighter" with a "Final Fantasy" skin. Mashing buttons and blindly attacking will accomplish little.

The roster includes an equal mix of heroes and villains, one of each from the first 10 "Final Fantasy" games, plus a couple of secret characters locked away at the start.

As in most fighting games, the goal of a match is to deplete an opponent's hit points and knock them out. Each character has a handful of moves, some in the air and some on the ground, and most of them don't do any damage – at least not directly.

There are two kinds of attacks: Bravery attacks and HP attacks. The latter chip away at a fighter's hit points and are key to winning a match. But the majority of attacks are employed in an ongoing tug of war over each fighter's Bravery score, which governs how much damage they'll do with an HP attack.

For example, if each combatant starts with 200 Bravery points, either one would do 200 HP worth of damage with an HP attack. If one character depleted the other's Bravery to 50, they'd have 350 points and do that much damage.

But Bravery isn't limited to the total of the two combatants' own scores. Each stage has a pool of bonus Bravery points awarded to whichever fighter can bring the other's Bravery to zero, called a Bravery Break.

Many matches can be won with only one or two HP attacks, and since a character's Bravery is depleted entirely if his or her HP attack connects, it's best to finish an opponent with one huge attack if possible, rather than several smaller ones.

Those are the basics of combat, but fighters have other moves at their disposal, which help make their battles fanciful and fast-paced. Characters can dodge or block incoming attacks, dash at each other from afar, even take their fight to the air. Each warrior has an EX Gauge that fills over time and can be given a boost with a special item on the field. When it's full, EX Mode can be activated to unleash a powerful special attack.

The game's graphics are excellent, and the action is speedy and generally easy to follow, though it's easy to get disoriented in the game's multilevel fighting arenas when not zeroed in on an opponent.

The main story mode offers a five-part adventure for each heroic character, capped by a battle with his or her rival from the original game.

In the story mode, characters go through several small grids littered with enemy "pieces," treasure chests and other items. Characters gain new equipment, abilities and greater power over time, and can be customized before going into battle.

PICKS AND PANS

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2

3 1/2 stars

"Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2" brings last year's Xbox 360 action game to the PlayStation 3, but this is more than a simple port.

It reworks many aspects of the game; even for gamers who've played "Ninja Gaiden II," this update has surprises in store. Essentially unchanged is the action itself: Acrobatic master ninja Ryu Hayabusa is still deadly with a sword, a staff, claws or whatever other weapons he gets his hands on, and his ninja magic is powerful.

The violence has been toned down a ton in this version. Heads are lopped off in a haze of purple energy instead of blood, dismemberments are less graphic, and there's a lot less of the red stuff in general.

More substantial changes have been made as well. Levels have been redesigned and encounters remixed. There was no battle against a giant walking statue in the first stage of the original game, for example, and some of the cheaper aspects – fiery arrows flying in from offscreen, for instance – have been altered for the better.

On top of all that, there are three new characters to control, and a new cooperative Team Missions mode for off- or online play.

Sony PlayStation 3; $59.99 • Age rating: Mature

Ion Assault

3 stars

Instead of firing missiles or lasers or something like that, the player's ship in "Ion Assault" attracts particles floating in space, gathers them into a big glob and projects them at an asteroid or an enemy ship like a superheated snowball.

The amount of time the glob is charged determines its power, and various power-ups can augment the ion weapon or grant other effects. Targets don't take a set number of hits to destroy; instead, those particle shots heat up whatever they hit.

When a target is glowing, it's almost ready to pop, and firing at it again will destroy it, as will maneuvering close enough for a swirling mass of particles to edge it into oblivion.

The visuals are very nice, with the player's ship distorting space when its ion vacuum is activated, though the screen can get a bit busy at times.

There are several multiplayer modes: Two players can work together in the main campaign or compete in a versus mode that can also be played online.

Microsoft Xbox 360 (Xbox Live download); $10 (800 Microsoft points) • Age rating: 10-plus

– Justin Hoeger

Players must choose their allegiance between good and evil in "Dissidia: Final Fantasy."

"Dissidia: Final Fantasy," with a cast drawn from Square Enix's long- running RPG series, answers the age-old question: Who would win in a fight between Tidus and Sephiroth? Or Cloud and Kefka?

Yes, "Dissidia" is a fighting game, but this isn't "Soul Calibur" or "Street Fighter" with a "Final Fantasy" skin. Mashing buttons and blindly attacking will accomplish little.

The roster includes an equal mix of heroes and villains, one of each from the first 10 "Final Fantasy" games, plus a couple of secret characters locked away at the start.

As in most fighting games, the goal of a match is to deplete an opponent's hit points and knock them out. Each character has a handful of moves, some in the air and some on the ground, and most of them don't do any damage – at least not directly.

There are two kinds of attacks: Bravery attacks and HP attacks. The latter chip away at a fighter's hit points and are key to winning a match. But the majority of attacks are employed in an ongoing tug of war over each fighter's Bravery score, which governs how much damage they'll do with an HP attack.

For example, if each combatant starts with 200 Bravery points, either one would do 200 HP worth of damage with an HP attack. If one character depleted the other's Bravery to 50, they'd have 350 points and do that much damage.

But Bravery isn't limited to the total of the two combatants' own scores. Each stage has a pool of bonus Bravery points awarded to whichever fighter can bring the other's Bravery to zero, called a Bravery Break.

Many matches can be won with only one or two HP attacks, and since a character's Bravery is depleted entirely if his or her HP attack connects, it's best to finish an opponent with one huge attack if possible, rather than several smaller ones.

Those are the basics of combat, but fighters have other moves at their disposal, which help make their battles fanciful and fast-paced. Characters can dodge or block incoming attacks, dash at each other from afar, even take their fight to the air. Each warrior has an EX Gauge that fills over time and can be given a boost with a special item on the field. When it's full, EX Mode can be activated to unleash a powerful special attack.

The game's graphics are excellent, and the action is speedy and generally easy to follow, though it's easy to get disoriented in the game's multilevel fighting arenas when not zeroed in on an opponent.

The main story mode offers a five-part adventure for each heroic character, capped by a battle with his or her rival from the original game.

In the story mode, characters go through several small grids littered with enemy "pieces," treasure chests and other items. Characters gain new equipment, abilities and greater power over time, and can be customized before going into battle.

PICKS AND PANS

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2

3 1/2 stars

"Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2" brings last year's Xbox 360 action game to the PlayStation 3, but this is more than a simple port.

It reworks many aspects of the game; even for gamers who've played "Ninja Gaiden II," this update has surprises in store. Essentially unchanged is the action itself: Acrobatic master ninja Ryu Hayabusa is still deadly with a sword, a staff, claws or whatever other weapons he gets his hands on, and his ninja magic is powerful.

The violence has been toned down a ton in this version. Heads are lopped off in a haze of purple energy instead of blood, dismemberments are less graphic, and there's a lot less of the red stuff in general.

More substantial changes have been made as well. Levels have been redesigned and encounters remixed. There was no battle against a giant walking statue in the first stage of the original game, for example, and some of the cheaper aspects – fiery arrows flying in from offscreen, for instance – have been altered for the better.

On top of all that, there are three new characters to control, and a new cooperative Team Missions mode for off- or online play.

Sony PlayStation 3; $59.99 • Age rating: Mature

Ion Assault

3 stars

Instead of firing missiles or lasers or something like that, the player's ship in "Ion Assault" attracts particles floating in space, gathers them into a big glob and projects them at an asteroid or an enemy ship like a superheated snowball.

The amount of time the glob is charged determines its power, and various power-ups can augment the ion weapon or grant other effects. Targets don't take a set number of hits to destroy; instead, those particle shots heat up whatever they hit.

When a target is glowing, it's almost ready to pop, and firing at it again will destroy it, as will maneuvering close enough for a swirling mass of particles to edge it into oblivion.

The visuals are very nice, with the player's ship distorting space when its ion vacuum is activated, though the screen can get a bit busy at times.

There are several multiplayer modes: Two players can work together in the main campaign or compete in a versus mode that can also be played online.

Microsoft Xbox 360 (Xbox Live download); $10 (800 Microsoft points) • Age rating: 10-plus

– Justin Hoeger

Players must choose their allegiance between good and evil in "Dissidia: Final Fantasy."

"Dissidia: Final Fantasy," with a cast drawn from Square Enix's long- running RPG series, answers the age-old question: Who would win in a fight between Tidus and Sephiroth? Or Cloud and Kefka?

Yes, "Dissidia" is a fighting game, but this isn't "Soul Calibur" or "Street Fighter" with a "Final Fantasy" skin. Mashing buttons and blindly attacking will accomplish little.

The roster includes an equal mix of heroes and villains, one of each from the first 10 "Final Fantasy" games, plus a couple of secret characters locked away at the start.

As in most fighting games, the goal of a match is to deplete an opponent's hit points and knock them out. Each character has a handful of moves, some in the air and some on the ground, and most of them don't do any damage – at least not directly.

There are two kinds of attacks: Bravery attacks and HP attacks. The latter chip away at a fighter's hit points and are key to winning a match. But the majority of attacks are employed in an ongoing tug of war over each fighter's Bravery score, which governs how much damage they'll do with an HP attack.

For example, if each combatant starts with 200 Bravery points, either one would do 200 HP worth of damage with an HP attack. If one character depleted the other's Bravery to 50, they'd have 350 points and do that much damage.

But Bravery isn't limited to the total of the two combatants' own scores. Each stage has a pool of bonus Bravery points awarded to whichever fighter can bring the other's Bravery to zero, called a Bravery Break.

Many matches can be won with only one or two HP attacks, and since a character's Bravery is depleted entirely if his or her HP attack connects, it's best to finish an opponent with one huge attack if possible, rather than several smaller ones.

Those are the basics of combat, but fighters have other moves at their disposal, which help make their battles fanciful and fast-paced. Characters can dodge or block incoming attacks, dash at each other from afar, even take their fight to the air. Each warrior has an EX Gauge that fills over time and can be given a boost with a special item on the field. When it's full, EX Mode can be activated to unleash a powerful special attack.

The game's graphics are excellent, and the action is speedy and generally easy to follow, though it's easy to get disoriented in the game's multilevel fighting arenas when not zeroed in on an opponent.

The main story mode offers a five-part adventure for each heroic character, capped by a battle with his or her rival from the original game.

In the story mode, characters go through several small grids littered with enemy "pieces," treasure chests and other items. Characters gain new equipment, abilities and greater power over time, and can be customized before going into battle.

PICKS AND PANS

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2

3 1/2 stars

"Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2" brings last year's Xbox 360 action game to the PlayStation 3, but this is more than a simple port.

It reworks many aspects of the game; even for gamers who've played "Ninja Gaiden II," this update has surprises in store. Essentially unchanged is the action itself: Acrobatic master ninja Ryu Hayabusa is still deadly with a sword, a staff, claws or whatever other weapons he gets his hands on, and his ninja magic is powerful.

The violence has been toned down a ton in this version. Heads are lopped off in a haze of purple energy instead of blood, dismemberments are less graphic, and there's a lot less of the red stuff in general.

More substantial changes have been made as well. Levels have been redesigned and encounters remixed. There was no battle against a giant walking statue in the first stage of the original game, for example, and some of the cheaper aspects – fiery arrows flying in from offscreen, for instance – have been altered for the better.

On top of all that, there are three new characters to control, and a new cooperative Team Missions mode for off- or online play.

Sony PlayStation 3; $59.99 • Age rating: Mature

Ion Assault

3 stars

Instead of firing missiles or lasers or something like that, the player's ship in "Ion Assault" attracts particles floating in space, gathers them into a big glob and projects them at an asteroid or an enemy ship like a superheated snowball.

The amount of time the glob is charged determines its power, and various power-ups can augment the ion weapon or grant other effects. Targets don't take a set number of hits to destroy; instead, those particle shots heat up whatever they hit.

When a target is glowing, it's almost ready to pop, and firing at it again will destroy it, as will maneuvering close enough for a swirling mass of particles to edge it into oblivion.

The visuals are very nice, with the player's ship distorting space when its ion vacuum is activated, though the screen can get a bit busy at times.

There are several multiplayer modes: Two players can work together in the main campaign or compete in a versus mode that can also be played online.

Microsoft Xbox 360 (Xbox Live download); $10 (800 Microsoft points) • Age rating: 10-plus

– Justin Hoeger

"Scribblenauts" players have a goal to reach and must come up with the means to achieve it.

Pick a noun, any noun. Chances are, barring anything inappropriate, it'll appear in an instant if it's in "Scribblenauts."

Each of the game's many levels has an open-ended solution. The player is given a goal and must come up with the means to reach it. It's an ingenious idea, and the breadth of things a player can create in the game is amazing.

Once a stage is solved, the player gets a shiny "Starite" trophy and some "Ollars," in-game currency that's awarded based on a player's performance in the stage. Ollars can be spent on songs, new stages and other goodies.

There are two kinds of stages: puzzle and action. Puzzle stages give the player a task – give the chef a tool he'd want, or gather three flowers, or get the duckling to its family without harming the cat that's in the way. Action stages reveal the Starite immediately and give a quick overview of the situation, leaving the player to figure out how to reach it.

The player's onscreen avatar, Maxwell, can carry and use items the player creates for him. Players can otherwise place objects wherever they like, as long as there's room, and junk them at will. (Each stage has a cap on the number of player-created objects that can exist at once.)

Items present at the start of the stage can't be influenced directly. If there's a wall or police officer or piranha or some other obstacle in the way, the player will have to go around or through it, or find a way to destroy or distract it.

This leads to some novel solutions. If there's a shark blocking the way through a pond, use the game's notepad to create a giant squid and drop it into the water – it'll gobble the hapless shark right up. A bear is no match for a tank, either. And those are just possible solutions; the game rewards players for returning to completed levels and trying to solve them in different ways.

There's also a level editor for players who want to create their own puzzles and share them with friends online.

While there are tons of objects to create, not all are useful or interact with each other as one might expect. A police officer will shoot at a robber but won't be distracted by a doughnut. On the other hand, create an elf, a wizard, a dwarf and a halfling, then give the halfling a ring and see what happens.

As excellent as its core concept is, the game's control scheme is almost its Achilles heel. Everything is controlled by the stylus, from Maxwell's movement to the placement of objects. But Maxwell is tricky to move precisely, the physics of the objects can be dicey, and it's easy to poke one thing while trying to poke another.

At worst, a stage becomes a struggle with the interface as much as it does the solution to the puzzle itself, though sometimes the strange physics can be exploited to complete a level.

PICKS AND PANS

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger

3 1/2 stars

A new fighting game from the makers of the "Guilty Gear" titles, "BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger" shares that series' knack for bizarre, fluidly animated and beautifully drawn characters but stands on its own as a fighter.

Each of the 12 characters - ranging from big guys with swords to a young boy with a strange marionette - has a unique set of attacks, special moves and super moves, with four buttons providing the standard attacks.

Special moves are generally done with the same movements as they have been since "Street Fighter II," but some characters have a twist on the process, such as needing to use segments of a power meter to perform them.

The game discourages overly defensive play - blocking too much can leave a fighter stunned. There are advanced defensive moves, such as the Barrier Block, which is an effective guard that can also leave a character vulnerable if used excessively.

The game makes itself accessible to newcomers by allowing players to assign several special moves to the right analog stick - they can be used by flicking the stick in the proper direction rather than entering the button combination manually.

Microsoft Xbox 360, also for Sony PlayStation 3; $59.99 • Age rating: Teen

Stone Age

3 stars

A board game set in prehistoric times, "Stone Age" challenges players to keep their people fed while gathering resources to exchange for huts and cards that will earn them victory points. The player with the highest score at the end is the winner, naturally.

Players start with several villagers and take turns placing them around the outer areas of the board to gather resources - food, lumber, clay, stone and gold, which are gained by rolling dice - or in the central village to increase food production each turn, claim a tool (whose value can be added to a dice roll) or create a new villager (which takes two figures).

There also are huts and cards that can be claimed. Each requires a player to pay a combination of resources to take it but grants points or other bonuses in return. Jockeying for position is crucial.

"Stone Age" scales down well - all resource areas are up for grabs in a four-player game, but smaller games allow only two of the central spots to be claimed per turn, and only one player may place villagers on a given resource area - aside from the food area, which has no restrictions - each turn.

Rio Grande Games; $44.99 • Ages 10 and up, 2-4 players

- Justin Hoeger