Players should expect to take down a dragon or two in "Dragon Age: Origins."

"Dragon Age: Origins" is an epic, high-fantasy role- playing game and a return to form for developer BioWare, which has concentrated mostly on games with Eastern ("Jade Empire") and sci-fi ("Mass Effect") themes in the past few years.

The origins of the game's title concern the beginnings of the player's character, whether he or she be a human, dwarf or elf. Each character has one to three possible backgrounds, depending on the race and character class – warrior, mage or rogue – chosen.

For example, all mages start out in their order's tower, watched over by suspicious templars who stand ready to strike down any magic user who shows signs of possession. By contrast, city elves are a downtrodden underclass in the human city of Denerim, where a local lord's son crashes a wedding to stir up racial tension. The other origin stories have their own elements, some of which can change depending on the player's gender and other factors.

But in all origins there is one common factor: the Grey Warden, Duncan.

Duncan is recruiting for the Wardens, a legendary band of fighters who stopped an invasion of darkspawn hundreds of years ago. They can sense the creatures' presence, and Duncan knows a new horde, or Blight, gathering in the south is led by a powerful Archfiend.

The player makes the grade, of course, but it's not long before circumstances force this new hero to venture across the land in the hope of forming an army to face the growing threat of the Blight, gathering several interesting companions along the way.

Players can be as altruistic or as cruel as they please, which can have an effect on how some party members behave and respond.

Characters' abilities and skills can be customized as they level up according to the player's wishes. Each of the three classes has a set of unique powers, and characters can be further customized with specializations down the line – a mage can become a shape shifter, a warrior can be a berserker and a rogue can train as an assassin, among other possibilities.

Players can directly control one character at a time and issue orders to the others. Combat tactics govern the party's actions in a manner similar to "Final Fantasy XII's" Gambit system.

New copies of the game come with voucher codes for an additional character and quest pack, "The Stone Prisoner," and for a special set of armor that will also appear in the upcoming "Mass Effect 2."

PICKS AND PANS

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

4 stars

The latest in the always dependable "Ratchet & Clank" series sees the heroic duo still separated after the events of "Tools of Destruction." The action is just as fun as ever, and the game looks absolutely gorgeous.

Ratchet scours the galaxy searching for the abducted Clank, collecting new items such as hover boots, and battling robots, monsters and minions with various weapons (several of which can now be customized).

Ratchet can also fly around several star systems, shooting down enemy ships, landing on tiny planetoids to search for items and upgrades, and heading down to larger worlds for more expansive missions.

Meanwhile, Clank is stuck on an enormous machine called the Great Clock, and learns to manipulate time and create temporal copies of himself to solve some brain-twisting puzzles.

PlayStation 3; $59.99 • Age Rating: 10-plus

Rabbids Go Home: A Comedy Adventure

3 stars

Those crazy critters from the "Rayman Raving Rabbids" return, sans Rayman himself. "Rabbids Go Home," the bug-eyed weirdos' first game of their own, is just as strange as one might expect from a game starring them: The Rabbids decide they want to go to the moon and start building a pile of stuff so they can reach it.

The player, controlling a pair of Rabbids wielding a shopping cart, is out to collect this stuff – each level is filled with small pieces of stuff and has one large piece, like a big clock or something. It's kind of like a twisted take on the "Katamari" games – there are many obstacles on the way to the goal, but overcoming them often rewards the Rabbids with more junk.

Collecting enough stuff rewards the player with gifts that can be used to customize the Rabbids and opens up new areas packed with stuff to pile up.

Nintendo Wii; $49.99 • Age Rating: 10-plus

Torchlight

3 1/2 stars

A good dungeon crawler has three things: loot, monsters and skill trees. "Torchlight" has these things and a few extras to sweeten the pot.

Players choose from one of three classes (melée-centric Destroyer, arcane Alchemist or long-range Vanquisher) and venture into the deep, randomly generated mines under the town of Torchlight to find their fortune – or their end. A trio of skill trees per character allows players to customize their abilities as desired.

Players also choose an animal companion – cat or dog – who serves as an ally in battle, changes into different forms by eating captured fish, and hauls excess loot to the surface to sell it off while the player continues to adventure in the deep.

PC (Torchlightgame.com download); $19.95 • No age rating

– Justin Hoeger

Players should expect to take down a dragon or two in "Dragon Age: Origins."

"Dragon Age: Origins" is an epic, high-fantasy role- playing game and a return to form for developer BioWare, which has concentrated mostly on games with Eastern ("Jade Empire") and sci-fi ("Mass Effect") themes in the past few years.

The origins of the game's title concern the beginnings of the player's character, whether he or she be a human, dwarf or elf. Each character has one to three possible backgrounds, depending on the race and character class – warrior, mage or rogue – chosen.

For example, all mages start out in their order's tower, watched over by suspicious templars who stand ready to strike down any magic user who shows signs of possession. By contrast, city elves are a downtrodden underclass in the human city of Denerim, where a local lord's son crashes a wedding to stir up racial tension. The other origin stories have their own elements, some of which can change depending on the player's gender and other factors.

But in all origins there is one common factor: the Grey Warden, Duncan.

Duncan is recruiting for the Wardens, a legendary band of fighters who stopped an invasion of darkspawn hundreds of years ago. They can sense the creatures' presence, and Duncan knows a new horde, or Blight, gathering in the south is led by a powerful Archfiend.

The player makes the grade, of course, but it's not long before circumstances force this new hero to venture across the land in the hope of forming an army to face the growing threat of the Blight, gathering several interesting companions along the way.

Players can be as altruistic or as cruel as they please, which can have an effect on how some party members behave and respond.

Characters' abilities and skills can be customized as they level up according to the player's wishes. Each of the three classes has a set of unique powers, and characters can be further customized with specializations down the line – a mage can become a shape shifter, a warrior can be a berserker and a rogue can train as an assassin, among other possibilities.

Players can directly control one character at a time and issue orders to the others. Combat tactics govern the party's actions in a manner similar to "Final Fantasy XII's" Gambit system.

New copies of the game come with voucher codes for an additional character and quest pack, "The Stone Prisoner," and for a special set of armor that will also appear in the upcoming "Mass Effect 2."

PICKS AND PANS

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time

4 stars

The latest in the always dependable "Ratchet & Clank" series sees the heroic duo still separated after the events of "Tools of Destruction." The action is just as fun as ever, and the game looks absolutely gorgeous.

Ratchet scours the galaxy searching for the abducted Clank, collecting new items such as hover boots, and battling robots, monsters and minions with various weapons (several of which can now be customized).

Ratchet can also fly around several star systems, shooting down enemy ships, landing on tiny planetoids to search for items and upgrades, and heading down to larger worlds for more expansive missions.

Meanwhile, Clank is stuck on an enormous machine called the Great Clock, and learns to manipulate time and create temporal copies of himself to solve some brain-twisting puzzles.

PlayStation 3; $59.99 • Age Rating: 10-plus

Rabbids Go Home: A Comedy Adventure

3 stars

Those crazy critters from the "Rayman Raving Rabbids" return, sans Rayman himself. "Rabbids Go Home," the bug-eyed weirdos' first game of their own, is just as strange as one might expect from a game starring them: The Rabbids decide they want to go to the moon and start building a pile of stuff so they can reach it.

The player, controlling a pair of Rabbids wielding a shopping cart, is out to collect this stuff – each level is filled with small pieces of stuff and has one large piece, like a big clock or something. It's kind of like a twisted take on the "Katamari" games – there are many obstacles on the way to the goal, but overcoming them often rewards the Rabbids with more junk.

Collecting enough stuff rewards the player with gifts that can be used to customize the Rabbids and opens up new areas packed with stuff to pile up.

Nintendo Wii; $49.99 • Age Rating: 10-plus

Torchlight

3 1/2 stars

A good dungeon crawler has three things: loot, monsters and skill trees. "Torchlight" has these things and a few extras to sweeten the pot.

Players choose from one of three classes (melée-centric Destroyer, arcane Alchemist or long-range Vanquisher) and venture into the deep, randomly generated mines under the town of Torchlight to find their fortune – or their end. A trio of skill trees per character allows players to customize their abilities as desired.

Players also choose an animal companion – cat or dog – who serves as an ally in battle, changes into different forms by eating captured fish, and hauls excess loot to the surface to sell it off while the player continues to adventure in the deep.

PC (Torchlightgame.com download); $19.95 • No age rating

– Justin Hoeger

Jelly beans allow the blob to take on numerous forms, from a ladder to a hole in the ground, in "A Boy and His Blob."

When a small, bluish-white blob from outer space crash-lands in a forest, he is found by a young boy who sees the event from his treehouse. So begins "A Boy and His Blob," the best puzzle game since 2008's time-twisting "Braid." "A Boy and His Blob" is a more lighthearted affair than "Braid," but its puzzles are no less cunning. The blob came to Earth seeking help to overthrow the evil emperor of Blobolonia, who has sent his inky, blobby minions to our planet as well.

The blob does nothing on its own but follow along, but when the boy feeds him jellybeans, his form changes. One kind of bean turns him into a ladder, another into a parachute, a third into a trampoline. He can turn into an anvil, a cannon, a bowling ball, a balloon, even a hole in the ground. And there are more forms as well, each with its own uses.

The boy takes advantage of these changes to make his way through the game's numerous levels, defeat the emperor's minions and collect the trio of treasure chests in each stage, which open up challenge stages when found.

"A Boy and His Blob" is friendly: Checkpoints are frequent, so defeat is a brief setback at worst. The challenge usually comes from figuring out how to get past the current obstacle or reach that out-of-the-way chest, though boss fights are a bit more dangerous.

The puzzles are tricky but logical, and the boy is given the beans he needs to solve a particular stage. (He can carry eight kinds at once, easily selected from a radial menu.)

For example, in one stage, there's an enemy on a high platform with another platform below it. To defeat it, the player has to use the right combination of powers to move the creature to the lower platform so it can be squished with something heavy – not a tough challenge but one that requires the player to think carefully about what beans in the boy's arsenal have which effects. (In this case, the hole and the anvil forms are key.)

Beyond being friendly, the game is adorable. The blob swallows jellybeans and chests with a pronounced "gulmp"; there's a button whose only purpose is to make the boy hug his blob with a happy little "oomph." How many games have a "hug" button? The game's visuals are in rich, fluidly animated 2-D – there's not a polygon in sight, nor a need for one – and the music and sound are terrific.

PICKS AND PANS

Space Invaders Extreme 2

3 1/2 stars

"Space Invaders Extreme" transformed an arcade classic into a relevant new form while retaining the core of game play that made it popular in the first place. "Space Invaders Extreme 2" tweaks the existing "Extreme" formula with some new bells and whistles, and it's no less entertaining than the first.

Players move a cannon along the bottom of the screen, firing at waves of invading aliens above; the aliens drop special weapons such as a laser and a bomb. There are more kinds of aliens this time, especially in later levels and harder difficulty settings, and there are new gigantic boss enemies to defeat.

The most obvious change is the new bingo grid, which covers the top screen when the player isn't in bonus scoring mode; filling out rows with the right colors by destroying enemies can grant a chance for tons of bonus points.

Nintendo DS; $19.99 • Age rating: Everyone

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

3 stars

"IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey" is a World War II fighter plane game that can be played as an arcade-style dogfighter or as a much more realistic simulation.

There are numerous missions over Britain, Russia and other countries; the countryside and city visuals are quite detailed, as are those for the planes themselves, inside and out.

The different levels of realism make up the game's difficulty levels. Arcade mode adjusts automatically to avoid stalls and tailspins, shows where to fire to hit a moving target, features a radar display and is generally a pick-up-and-play mode. The Realistic setting takes away some of these features, and Simulator takes away even more, limits ammo and fuel, and restricts the player to flying with no radar.

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

Panzer General: Allied Assault

3 stars

A clever World War II-themed strategy game, "Panzer General: Allied Assault" is a tad cumbersome at times but still quite fun to play. The title's board-game aesthetic is no coincidence; a tabletop version of the game is due for release early next year.

The game is played on a grid of tiles representing land features: fields, hills, rivers, cities and so on. Each side (Allies and Axis) draws cards representing units and actions, and uses Prestige points to employ them in battle.

In general, vehicles can move and attack each turn, infantry can move or attack, artillery lends support to battles in range, and other cards have various effects on movement and attack, or have special powers of their own.

Combat involves an attack and a counterattack, so skirmishes can drag on a little, but that's only a minor complaint.

Microsoft Xbox 360; $10 (800 Microsoft Points) • Age rating: Everyone

– Justin Hoeger

Jelly beans allow the blob to take on numerous forms, from a ladder to a hole in the ground, in "A Boy and His Blob."

When a small, bluish-white blob from outer space crash-lands in a forest, he is found by a young boy who sees the event from his treehouse. So begins "A Boy and His Blob," the best puzzle game since 2008's time-twisting "Braid." "A Boy and His Blob" is a more lighthearted affair than "Braid," but its puzzles are no less cunning. The blob came to Earth seeking help to overthrow the evil emperor of Blobolonia, who has sent his inky, blobby minions to our planet as well.

The blob does nothing on its own but follow along, but when the boy feeds him jellybeans, his form changes. One kind of bean turns him into a ladder, another into a parachute, a third into a trampoline. He can turn into an anvil, a cannon, a bowling ball, a balloon, even a hole in the ground. And there are more forms as well, each with its own uses.

The boy takes advantage of these changes to make his way through the game's numerous levels, defeat the emperor's minions and collect the trio of treasure chests in each stage, which open up challenge stages when found.

"A Boy and His Blob" is friendly: Checkpoints are frequent, so defeat is a brief setback at worst. The challenge usually comes from figuring out how to get past the current obstacle or reach that out-of-the-way chest, though boss fights are a bit more dangerous.

The puzzles are tricky but logical, and the boy is given the beans he needs to solve a particular stage. (He can carry eight kinds at once, easily selected from a radial menu.)

For example, in one stage, there's an enemy on a high platform with another platform below it. To defeat it, the player has to use the right combination of powers to move the creature to the lower platform so it can be squished with something heavy – not a tough challenge but one that requires the player to think carefully about what beans in the boy's arsenal have which effects. (In this case, the hole and the anvil forms are key.)

Beyond being friendly, the game is adorable. The blob swallows jellybeans and chests with a pronounced "gulmp"; there's a button whose only purpose is to make the boy hug his blob with a happy little "oomph." How many games have a "hug" button? The game's visuals are in rich, fluidly animated 2-D – there's not a polygon in sight, nor a need for one – and the music and sound are terrific.

PICKS AND PANS

Space Invaders Extreme 2

3 1/2 stars

"Space Invaders Extreme" transformed an arcade classic into a relevant new form while retaining the core of game play that made it popular in the first place. "Space Invaders Extreme 2" tweaks the existing "Extreme" formula with some new bells and whistles, and it's no less entertaining than the first.

Players move a cannon along the bottom of the screen, firing at waves of invading aliens above; the aliens drop special weapons such as a laser and a bomb. There are more kinds of aliens this time, especially in later levels and harder difficulty settings, and there are new gigantic boss enemies to defeat.

The most obvious change is the new bingo grid, which covers the top screen when the player isn't in bonus scoring mode; filling out rows with the right colors by destroying enemies can grant a chance for tons of bonus points.

Nintendo DS; $19.99 • Age rating: Everyone

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

3 stars

"IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey" is a World War II fighter plane game that can be played as an arcade-style dogfighter or as a much more realistic simulation.

There are numerous missions over Britain, Russia and other countries; the countryside and city visuals are quite detailed, as are those for the planes themselves, inside and out.

The different levels of realism make up the game's difficulty levels. Arcade mode adjusts automatically to avoid stalls and tailspins, shows where to fire to hit a moving target, features a radar display and is generally a pick-up-and-play mode. The Realistic setting takes away some of these features, and Simulator takes away even more, limits ammo and fuel, and restricts the player to flying with no radar.

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

Panzer General: Allied Assault

3 stars

A clever World War II-themed strategy game, "Panzer General: Allied Assault" is a tad cumbersome at times but still quite fun to play. The title's board-game aesthetic is no coincidence; a tabletop version of the game is due for release early next year.

The game is played on a grid of tiles representing land features: fields, hills, rivers, cities and so on. Each side (Allies and Axis) draws cards representing units and actions, and uses Prestige points to employ them in battle.

In general, vehicles can move and attack each turn, infantry can move or attack, artillery lends support to battles in range, and other cards have various effects on movement and attack, or have special powers of their own.

Combat involves an attack and a counterattack, so skirmishes can drag on a little, but that's only a minor complaint.

Microsoft Xbox 360; $10 (800 Microsoft Points) • Age rating: Everyone

– Justin Hoeger

Jelly beans allow the blob to take on numerous forms, from a ladder to a hole in the ground, in "A Boy and His Blob."

When a small, bluish-white blob from outer space crash-lands in a forest, he is found by a young boy who sees the event from his treehouse. So begins "A Boy and His Blob," the best puzzle game since 2008's time-twisting "Braid." "A Boy and His Blob" is a more lighthearted affair than "Braid," but its puzzles are no less cunning. The blob came to Earth seeking help to overthrow the evil emperor of Blobolonia, who has sent his inky, blobby minions to our planet as well.

The blob does nothing on its own but follow along, but when the boy feeds him jellybeans, his form changes. One kind of bean turns him into a ladder, another into a parachute, a third into a trampoline. He can turn into an anvil, a cannon, a bowling ball, a balloon, even a hole in the ground. And there are more forms as well, each with its own uses.

The boy takes advantage of these changes to make his way through the game's numerous levels, defeat the emperor's minions and collect the trio of treasure chests in each stage, which open up challenge stages when found.

"A Boy and His Blob" is friendly: Checkpoints are frequent, so defeat is a brief setback at worst. The challenge usually comes from figuring out how to get past the current obstacle or reach that out-of-the-way chest, though boss fights are a bit more dangerous.

The puzzles are tricky but logical, and the boy is given the beans he needs to solve a particular stage. (He can carry eight kinds at once, easily selected from a radial menu.)

For example, in one stage, there's an enemy on a high platform with another platform below it. To defeat it, the player has to use the right combination of powers to move the creature to the lower platform so it can be squished with something heavy – not a tough challenge but one that requires the player to think carefully about what beans in the boy's arsenal have which effects. (In this case, the hole and the anvil forms are key.)

Beyond being friendly, the game is adorable. The blob swallows jellybeans and chests with a pronounced "gulmp"; there's a button whose only purpose is to make the boy hug his blob with a happy little "oomph." How many games have a "hug" button? The game's visuals are in rich, fluidly animated 2-D – there's not a polygon in sight, nor a need for one – and the music and sound are terrific.

PICKS AND PANS

Space Invaders Extreme 2

3 1/2 stars

"Space Invaders Extreme" transformed an arcade classic into a relevant new form while retaining the core of game play that made it popular in the first place. "Space Invaders Extreme 2" tweaks the existing "Extreme" formula with some new bells and whistles, and it's no less entertaining than the first.

Players move a cannon along the bottom of the screen, firing at waves of invading aliens above; the aliens drop special weapons such as a laser and a bomb. There are more kinds of aliens this time, especially in later levels and harder difficulty settings, and there are new gigantic boss enemies to defeat.

The most obvious change is the new bingo grid, which covers the top screen when the player isn't in bonus scoring mode; filling out rows with the right colors by destroying enemies can grant a chance for tons of bonus points.

Nintendo DS; $19.99 • Age rating: Everyone

IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

3 stars

"IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey" is a World War II fighter plane game that can be played as an arcade-style dogfighter or as a much more realistic simulation.

There are numerous missions over Britain, Russia and other countries; the countryside and city visuals are quite detailed, as are those for the planes themselves, inside and out.

The different levels of realism make up the game's difficulty levels. Arcade mode adjusts automatically to avoid stalls and tailspins, shows where to fire to hit a moving target, features a radar display and is generally a pick-up-and-play mode. The Realistic setting takes away some of these features, and Simulator takes away even more, limits ammo and fuel, and restricts the player to flying with no radar.

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

Panzer General: Allied Assault

3 stars

A clever World War II-themed strategy game, "Panzer General: Allied Assault" is a tad cumbersome at times but still quite fun to play. The title's board-game aesthetic is no coincidence; a tabletop version of the game is due for release early next year.

The game is played on a grid of tiles representing land features: fields, hills, rivers, cities and so on. Each side (Allies and Axis) draws cards representing units and actions, and uses Prestige points to employ them in battle.

In general, vehicles can move and attack each turn, infantry can move or attack, artillery lends support to battles in range, and other cards have various effects on movement and attack, or have special powers of their own.

Combat involves an attack and a counterattack, so skirmishes can drag on a little, but that's only a minor complaint.

Microsoft Xbox 360; $10 (800 Microsoft Points) • Age rating: Everyone

– Justin Hoeger

Gambit and Daredevil face off with S.H.I.E.L.D. troopers in "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2."

In "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2," a battle between superheroes and the villain Nitro has left hundreds dead, prompting Congress to pass the Superhuman Registration Act: All beings with unusual powers must reveal their identities and register with the government, or face capture and imprisonment.

The super community is split down the middle. Iron Man heads up the faction that's legalized and has been put in charge of hunting down the rebels, led by a disillusioned Captain America.

The player gets to choose which side to join after the first few levels of the game, which affects which missions will be available, which famous Marvel characters the player will be able to use and which they'll fight against.

"MUA2" plays a heck of a lot like the original. Players select a team of four superheroes and take them into beat-'em-up combat with a light RPG flavor. Up to four players can control these heroes, online or off.

Powers and abilities fall in line with each character's nature. Wolverine attacks with his claws and heals over time, Mr. Fantastic stretches his limbs, the Human Torch throws fire, and so on. Many characters need to be unlocked, but once they're available, a player can swap them in and out of the team at will. Forming specific groups of superhumans, such as the Fantastic Four, imparts a bonus for that team.

A new combat feature is Fusion attacks. Built up over time by defeating foes, Fusions allow any two characters to join for a powerful special move.

In a similar vein to "MUA2" but not as complex, and aimed at a younger audience is "Marvel Super Hero Squad." Based on the cutesy, big-headed line of Marvel toys and the show that goes with them, this two-player game features several heroes as they try to stop a nefarious plan by Doctor Doom and his minions.

Much of the game is a straightforward brawler that two players can participate in. Each hero has a few attacks and combos that employ button presses and movements of the Wii Remote or Nunchuk.

There is also a four-player battle mode similar to "Super Smash Bros." or "Power Stone" – heroes and villains fight it out in customizable free-for-alls or team matches. The moves here are slightly different and more varied than in the brawler segments.

PICKS AND PANS

Wet

3 stars

If Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies had been made into a game, it might have looked something like "Wet." Gun-for-hire Rubi Malone carries a sword and is definitely on a roaring rampage. But she also uses guns, firing them while running along walls, leaping through the air or sliding along the ground.

The action switches to slow-mo when Rubi pulls off an acrobatic move, allowing the player to target multiple enemies for quick kills. Extra points are awarded for mixing up Rubi's moves while taking down hordes of henchmen.

The visuals are impressive; a graphical filter overlays the action, lending the look of scratched film and projector flicker to the proceedings.

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

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes

2 1/2 stars

Set within the timeline of the "Clone Wars" computer- animated series, "Republic Heroes" offers a few flavors of "Star Wars" action for two players.

"Republic Heroes" switches between Jedi-focused and clone trooper-focused levels. In the former, players control Anakin, his apprentice Ahsoka, and other Jedi as they make their way through levels full of enemy droids and obstacles. Jedi attack up close with lightsabers and hurl waves of Force energy, and they're agile. They can also hop onto and take control of certain droids.

In trooper stages, players control heavily armed soldiers as they run and gun through the level, picking up weapon boosts, such as thermal detonators, along the way.

The game is fun, though easy. The controls are generally responsive, though precision jumping and taking cover can present problems at times.

Nintendo Wii, also for Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC; $49.99 ($29.99 to $49.99 for other versions) • Age rating: Teen

Dragon Quest Wars

2 1/2 stars

A light strategy game starring monsters from the "Dragon Quest" series, "Dragon Quest Monsters" is an entertaining spinoff. On the player's turn, the stylus is used to move monsters and select their actions. Then the actions are executed and the other side goes through the same process.

There's a training mode to familiarize new players with the game's concepts; after that, players can customize their own battle setups. There's quite a bit of strategy involved in setting up a solid offense and defense with the various monsters and their powers, and with only four units per side, each move counts.

Nintendo DSi (DSiWare download); $5 (500 Nintendo Points)

• Age rating: 10-plus

– Justin Hoeger

Gambit and Daredevil face off with S.H.I.E.L.D. troopers in "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2."

In "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2," a battle between superheroes and the villain Nitro has left hundreds dead, prompting Congress to pass the Superhuman Registration Act: All beings with unusual powers must reveal their identities and register with the government, or face capture and imprisonment.

The super community is split down the middle. Iron Man heads up the faction that's legalized and has been put in charge of hunting down the rebels, led by a disillusioned Captain America.

The player gets to choose which side to join after the first few levels of the game, which affects which missions will be available, which famous Marvel characters the player will be able to use and which they'll fight against.

"MUA2" plays a heck of a lot like the original. Players select a team of four superheroes and take them into beat-'em-up combat with a light RPG flavor. Up to four players can control these heroes, online or off.

Powers and abilities fall in line with each character's nature. Wolverine attacks with his claws and heals over time, Mr. Fantastic stretches his limbs, the Human Torch throws fire, and so on. Many characters need to be unlocked, but once they're available, a player can swap them in and out of the team at will. Forming specific groups of superhumans, such as the Fantastic Four, imparts a bonus for that team.

A new combat feature is Fusion attacks. Built up over time by defeating foes, Fusions allow any two characters to join for a powerful special move.

In a similar vein to "MUA2" but not as complex, and aimed at a younger audience is "Marvel Super Hero Squad." Based on the cutesy, big-headed line of Marvel toys and the show that goes with them, this two-player game features several heroes as they try to stop a nefarious plan by Doctor Doom and his minions.

Much of the game is a straightforward brawler that two players can participate in. Each hero has a few attacks and combos that employ button presses and movements of the Wii Remote or Nunchuk.

There is also a four-player battle mode similar to "Super Smash Bros." or "Power Stone" – heroes and villains fight it out in customizable free-for-alls or team matches. The moves here are slightly different and more varied than in the brawler segments.

PICKS AND PANS

Wet

3 stars

If Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies had been made into a game, it might have looked something like "Wet." Gun-for-hire Rubi Malone carries a sword and is definitely on a roaring rampage. But she also uses guns, firing them while running along walls, leaping through the air or sliding along the ground.

The action switches to slow-mo when Rubi pulls off an acrobatic move, allowing the player to target multiple enemies for quick kills. Extra points are awarded for mixing up Rubi's moves while taking down hordes of henchmen.

The visuals are impressive; a graphical filter overlays the action, lending the look of scratched film and projector flicker to the proceedings.

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

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes

2 1/2 stars

Set within the timeline of the "Clone Wars" computer- animated series, "Republic Heroes" offers a few flavors of "Star Wars" action for two players.

"Republic Heroes" switches between Jedi-focused and clone trooper-focused levels. In the former, players control Anakin, his apprentice Ahsoka, and other Jedi as they make their way through levels full of enemy droids and obstacles. Jedi attack up close with lightsabers and hurl waves of Force energy, and they're agile. They can also hop onto and take control of certain droids.

In trooper stages, players control heavily armed soldiers as they run and gun through the level, picking up weapon boosts, such as thermal detonators, along the way.

The game is fun, though easy. The controls are generally responsive, though precision jumping and taking cover can present problems at times.

Nintendo Wii, also for Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC; $49.99 ($29.99 to $49.99 for other versions) • Age rating: Teen

Dragon Quest Wars

2 1/2 stars

A light strategy game starring monsters from the "Dragon Quest" series, "Dragon Quest Monsters" is an entertaining spinoff. On the player's turn, the stylus is used to move monsters and select their actions. Then the actions are executed and the other side goes through the same process.

There's a training mode to familiarize new players with the game's concepts; after that, players can customize their own battle setups. There's quite a bit of strategy involved in setting up a solid offense and defense with the various monsters and their powers, and with only four units per side, each move counts.

Nintendo DSi (DSiWare download); $5 (500 Nintendo Points)

• Age rating: 10-plus

– Justin Hoeger

Gambit and Daredevil face off with S.H.I.E.L.D. troopers in "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2."

In "Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2," a battle between superheroes and the villain Nitro has left hundreds dead, prompting Congress to pass the Superhuman Registration Act: All beings with unusual powers must reveal their identities and register with the government, or face capture and imprisonment.

The super community is split down the middle. Iron Man heads up the faction that's legalized and has been put in charge of hunting down the rebels, led by a disillusioned Captain America.

The player gets to choose which side to join after the first few levels of the game, which affects which missions will be available, which famous Marvel characters the player will be able to use and which they'll fight against.

"MUA2" plays a heck of a lot like the original. Players select a team of four superheroes and take them into beat-'em-up combat with a light RPG flavor. Up to four players can control these heroes, online or off.

Powers and abilities fall in line with each character's nature. Wolverine attacks with his claws and heals over time, Mr. Fantastic stretches his limbs, the Human Torch throws fire, and so on. Many characters need to be unlocked, but once they're available, a player can swap them in and out of the team at will. Forming specific groups of superhumans, such as the Fantastic Four, imparts a bonus for that team.

A new combat feature is Fusion attacks. Built up over time by defeating foes, Fusions allow any two characters to join for a powerful special move.

In a similar vein to "MUA2" but not as complex, and aimed at a younger audience is "Marvel Super Hero Squad." Based on the cutesy, big-headed line of Marvel toys and the show that goes with them, this two-player game features several heroes as they try to stop a nefarious plan by Doctor Doom and his minions.

Much of the game is a straightforward brawler that two players can participate in. Each hero has a few attacks and combos that employ button presses and movements of the Wii Remote or Nunchuk.

There is also a four-player battle mode similar to "Super Smash Bros." or "Power Stone" – heroes and villains fight it out in customizable free-for-alls or team matches. The moves here are slightly different and more varied than in the brawler segments.

PICKS AND PANS

Wet

3 stars

If Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies had been made into a game, it might have looked something like "Wet." Gun-for-hire Rubi Malone carries a sword and is definitely on a roaring rampage. But she also uses guns, firing them while running along walls, leaping through the air or sliding along the ground.

The action switches to slow-mo when Rubi pulls off an acrobatic move, allowing the player to target multiple enemies for quick kills. Extra points are awarded for mixing up Rubi's moves while taking down hordes of henchmen.

The visuals are impressive; a graphical filter overlays the action, lending the look of scratched film and projector flicker to the proceedings.

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

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes

2 1/2 stars

Set within the timeline of the "Clone Wars" computer- animated series, "Republic Heroes" offers a few flavors of "Star Wars" action for two players.

"Republic Heroes" switches between Jedi-focused and clone trooper-focused levels. In the former, players control Anakin, his apprentice Ahsoka, and other Jedi as they make their way through levels full of enemy droids and obstacles. Jedi attack up close with lightsabers and hurl waves of Force energy, and they're agile. They can also hop onto and take control of certain droids.

In trooper stages, players control heavily armed soldiers as they run and gun through the level, picking up weapon boosts, such as thermal detonators, along the way.

The game is fun, though easy. The controls are generally responsive, though precision jumping and taking cover can present problems at times.

Nintendo Wii, also for Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, PC; $49.99 ($29.99 to $49.99 for other versions) • Age rating: Teen

Dragon Quest Wars

2 1/2 stars

A light strategy game starring monsters from the "Dragon Quest" series, "Dragon Quest Monsters" is an entertaining spinoff. On the player's turn, the stylus is used to move monsters and select their actions. Then the actions are executed and the other side goes through the same process.

There's a training mode to familiarize new players with the game's concepts; after that, players can customize their own battle setups. There's quite a bit of strategy involved in setting up a solid offense and defense with the various monsters and their powers, and with only four units per side, each move counts.

Nintendo DSi (DSiWare download); $5 (500 Nintendo Points)

• Age rating: 10-plus

– Justin Hoeger

Tyler Winston, 14, flanked by dad George Winston and friends, plays the video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" at the Antelope home of Steve and Tracey Mercado early Wednesday, just after the game's midnight release.

Around the nation on Veterans Day, millions gathered to wage simulated war, not in honor of America's veterans but in celebration of a slick, record-breaking video game release.

At the tick of midnight, store openings and long lines of gamers greeted the highly anticipated combat game, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," and the buzz continued through the daylight hours.

On a quiet Antelope cul-de-sac, six high-definition TVs, including two 52-inch models, were set up in a sports memorabilia-festooned man cave for the occasion, and six devoted gamers – two teenagers and four adults – stared raptly at the screens.

"When they're all online together, it's like a little platoon," said Tracey Mercado, whose husband and son were in the thick of the action. "You'll hear, 'Sniper! There's a sniper in the tower!' It's very entertaining, I'll tell you."

In a scene repeated in dens and TV rooms around the world, the Antelope team played through the night, knocking off animated bad guys from Afghanistan to Russia to Rio de Janeiro, quitting at 4 a.m. when their pizza high finally wound down.

Then the team – Steve Mercado, 41; his son, Steven, 14; George Winston, 43, his son, Tyler, 14; Lawrence Anderson Jr., 40; and Tim Ross, 42 – gathered early on Veterans Day for more "Call of Duty" warfare.

"It's a hobby," said Mercado, a Postal Service employee. "It brings friends and family together. It's all about the kids for the most part. I'm clearly the worst player out of all of us."

"Thank you for admitting that," said Ross, an electrician.

"It's a testosterone thing," said Mercado, the only military veteran in the group. "And the fact that the game was released on Veterans Day is patriotic."

Although figures were not immediately available, industry experts expected "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" to shatter video game sales records. British newspapers reported that more than 1 million of the games sold there in one day's time.

The clamor for the video game, the sixth in the "Call of Duty" series, was such that more than 10,000 retail outlets across the country opened at midnight Tuesday, according to the game's publisher, Santa Monica-based Activision.

The floor at GameStop on Madison Avenue was quieter by Wednesday afternoon, but associate Cecilia Barragan was still talking about the business the shop had done the day before. On the store's counter, a sign-up sheet was filled with signatures for an upcoming "Call of Duty" tournament.

"We had nonstop calls about 'Call of Duty,' " she said.

The store's midnight distribution of pre-ordered games lasted two hours. The game's Xbox 360 version had sold out by 3 p.m. Tuesday, and the Playstation 3 compatibles were gone by evening, forcing the store to call in new orders.

At 6:30 p.m., 30 people were already in line, waiting to pick up copies beginning at midnight. And that was on top of the 500 pre-orders sitting in the storeroom.

Barragan said customers' main complaint was the fact that the company's server had crashed, leaving gamers disconnected, unable to compete online. Not surprisingly, massive global gamer anguish gave rise to a slew of unprintable statements on the company's Web site.

But even with the game's popularity – GameStop Corp. executives say the number of pre-orders was the highest in company history – tough times forced some at the Madison Avenue store to scale back orders or put off purchases.

"It's a huge game, but with the economy, we've had people who did cancel," Barragan said.

The game retails for $59.99, but the Holy Grail is its Prestige Edition, a $149.99 package that comes equipped with night-vision goggles.

"Everybody wants those night goggles," said Rosemary Arrington, a manager at Best Buy on Arden Way. "We sold out the first day."

In the Antelope man cave – Steve Mercado calls it "the war room" – the team went for the cheaper version, minus the night goggles.

The game's appeal is simple and direct: Some people like to shoot things. Most of the time, we call them guys. The game brings death, destruction, loud sprays of gunfire, spreading pools of blood, a sophisticated musical score and really cool graphics into the homes of otherwise peace- loving people.

"I would hope it helps people realize not to go into the military, if you ask me," said Mercado.

One of the game's levels has generated particular controversy among less permissive parents for its depiction of hordes of innocent bystanders being mowed down by terrorists.

"I played that mission, and I didn't want to shoot them," said Mercado. "It hurt my stomach. Lawrence was like, 'Do your job! Do your job!' The whole airport gets slaughtered."

"It's just a cartoon," said Anderson, who works for AT&T. "It's not real. I've been playing video games since Atari was out. I know the difference between real and fake."

And were the younger team members upset?

"Not really," said Tyler.

"I know it's a video game," said Steven.

On ordinary days, they play the game together online after dinner. But Mercado and his friends planned the Veterans Day gathering months ago when they learned the new version would be released.

"I'm fascinated with military stuff," said Ross. "It's a chance to do that without really shooting anybody."

From left, Lawrence Anderson Jr., Steve Mercado, George Winston, and Tim Ross, focus early Wednesday on the "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" battlefield: The six high-definition TVs in Mercado's game room.

Tyler Winston, 14, flanked by dad George Winston and friends, plays the video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" at the Antelope home of Steve and Tracey Mercado early Wednesday, just after the game's midnight release.

Around the nation on Veterans Day, millions gathered to wage simulated war, not in honor of America's veterans but in celebration of a slick, record-breaking video game release.

At the tick of midnight, store openings and long lines of gamers greeted the highly anticipated combat game, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," and the buzz continued through the daylight hours.

On a quiet Antelope cul-de-sac, six high-definition TVs, including two 52-inch models, were set up in a sports memorabilia-festooned man cave for the occasion, and six devoted gamers – two teenagers and four adults – stared raptly at the screens.

"When they're all online together, it's like a little platoon," said Tracey Mercado, whose husband and son were in the thick of the action. "You'll hear, 'Sniper! There's a sniper in the tower!' It's very entertaining, I'll tell you."

In a scene repeated in dens and TV rooms around the world, the Antelope team played through the night, knocking off animated bad guys from Afghanistan to Russia to Rio de Janeiro, quitting at 4 a.m. when their pizza high finally wound down.

Then the team – Steve Mercado, 41; his son, Steven, 14; George Winston, 43, his son, Tyler, 14; Lawrence Anderson Jr., 40; and Tim Ross, 42 – gathered early on Veterans Day for more "Call of Duty" warfare.

"It's a hobby," said Mercado, a Postal Service employee. "It brings friends and family together. It's all about the kids for the most part. I'm clearly the worst player out of all of us."

"Thank you for admitting that," said Ross, an electrician.

"It's a testosterone thing," said Mercado, the only military veteran in the group. "And the fact that the game was released on Veterans Day is patriotic."

Although figures were not immediately available, industry experts expected "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" to shatter video game sales records. British newspapers reported that more than 1 million of the games sold there in one day's time.

The clamor for the video game, the sixth in the "Call of Duty" series, was such that more than 10,000 retail outlets across the country opened at midnight Tuesday, according to the game's publisher, Santa Monica-based Activision.

The floor at GameStop on Madison Avenue was quieter by Wednesday afternoon, but associate Cecilia Barragan was still talking about the business the shop had done the day before. On the store's counter, a sign-up sheet was filled with signatures for an upcoming "Call of Duty" tournament.

"We had nonstop calls about 'Call of Duty,' " she said.

The store's midnight distribution of pre-ordered games lasted two hours. The game's Xbox 360 version had sold out by 3 p.m. Tuesday, and the Playstation 3 compatibles were gone by evening, forcing the store to call in new orders.

At 6:30 p.m., 30 people were already in line, waiting to pick up copies beginning at midnight. And that was on top of the 500 pre-orders sitting in the storeroom.

Barragan said customers' main complaint was the fact that the company's server had crashed, leaving gamers disconnected, unable to compete online. Not surprisingly, massive global gamer anguish gave rise to a slew of unprintable statements on the company's Web site.

But even with the game's popularity – GameStop Corp. executives say the number of pre-orders was the highest in company history – tough times forced some at the Madison Avenue store to scale back orders or put off purchases.

"It's a huge game, but with the economy, we've had people who did cancel," Barragan said.

The game retails for $59.99, but the Holy Grail is its Prestige Edition, a $149.99 package that comes equipped with night-vision goggles.

"Everybody wants those night goggles," said Rosemary Arrington, a manager at Best Buy on Arden Way. "We sold out the first day."

In the Antelope man cave – Steve Mercado calls it "the war room" – the team went for the cheaper version, minus the night goggles.

The game's appeal is simple and direct: Some people like to shoot things. Most of the time, we call them guys. The game brings death, destruction, loud sprays of gunfire, spreading pools of blood, a sophisticated musical score and really cool graphics into the homes of otherwise peace- loving people.

"I would hope it helps people realize not to go into the military, if you ask me," said Mercado.

One of the game's levels has generated particular controversy among less permissive parents for its depiction of hordes of innocent bystanders being mowed down by terrorists.

"I played that mission, and I didn't want to shoot them," said Mercado. "It hurt my stomach. Lawrence was like, 'Do your job! Do your job!' The whole airport gets slaughtered."

"It's just a cartoon," said Anderson, who works for AT&T. "It's not real. I've been playing video games since Atari was out. I know the difference between real and fake."

And were the younger team members upset?

"Not really," said Tyler.

"I know it's a video game," said Steven.

On ordinary days, they play the game together online after dinner. But Mercado and his friends planned the Veterans Day gathering months ago when they learned the new version would be released.

"I'm fascinated with military stuff," said Ross. "It's a chance to do that without really shooting anybody."

From left, Lawrence Anderson Jr., Steve Mercado, George Winston, and Tim Ross, focus early Wednesday on the "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" battlefield: The six high-definition TVs in Mercado's game room.