The Games We Play is a weekly feature about what has been going on in our gaming lives. Tell us what you've been playing in the comments.
Terry: Personally, this has been a busy week for me. I've been getting my family organized for an Alzheimers fundraiser in honor of my late grandfather. Its taking place in my little burg this weekend and its taken up quite a bit of my time. When I have had a spare moment to get my game on, I've been spending it with Batman: Arkham Asylum and Beatles: Rock Band.
Arkham is frickin' sweet! I dig the simple fighting system, the voice acting is fantastic, and I love sneaking around to take out enemies one at a time while the other goons freak out. As for Beatles: Rock Band, I've already beaten the story mode but my kids (ages 15 and 9, yes I'm old) keep drawing me back to it. They like playing it even more than I do and constantly bug me to play with them. I guess I taught them well.
Ian: The deluge of gaming continued for me this week as I picked up NHL 10. I skipped 09, so my last insight into this widely acclaimed EA series was two years ago. The same basic gameplay is intact with some new additions. Isn't that how it always works with sports games? Board play is the big gameplay change and it works well. Be A Pro mode is new to me and I am already enjoying it. NHL 10 should keep me occupied for months to come.
Sean: Another week, another seven days of addiction to Defense Grid: The Awakening (XBLA). It's like crack enclosed in nicotine, I cannot put it down. Someone, please drive to my house and slap my 360 controller out of my hand and tell me to go outside and run or something. Towers, aliens, power cores, strategies and the desire to finish with a better score after each round. I need Defense Grid Awareness classes or something.
Other than that, I spent some time with Sonic & Knuckles which was quite a stroll down memory lane for me. The first system I ever played, owned and loved was the Sega Genesis. And if you're a Sega owner, you're a Sonic lover. I fell in love with Sonic the Hedgehog and took the bait for Sonic 2 with the addition of Tails. The game provides incredible sound, handling and old-time graphics that are perfect for what you're searching for -- a little bit of that childhood love for a blue hedgehog in Jordan-like sneakers.
Still in consistent circulation are Madden 10, Gears of War 2, Tiger Woods 10 and even Dead Rising? Yeah, I know I'm weird.
Jay: Aside from some games I am currently reviewing, I have been enjoying Scribblenauts and Metal Gear Solid 3. I recently finished my playthrough of MGS2, so the next thing to do was play three. One thing I should mention is that these are the re-releases that were in the triple pack, so they are slightly upgraded from the originals.
Then, released this week, Scribblenauts! So far I am having a great deal of fun with this little puzzle adventure. I thought I could stump it with Chupacabra, nope. Then I dropped in a goat, and the Chupacabra chased it! How 5th Cell considered so many possibilities is beyond me.
Joe: Wow...my first Games We Play as part of the GamePro Arcade team. I realize that this post is key, as it's the beginning of my Games We Play journey. My first thoughts need to set the tone for all that is to come. Hmm...
So I spent most of the last week with Wet, the rip-roaring action fest that completely blew the roof off of my sewer-level expectations. While it's as shallow as a toilet bowl--and nearly as sophisticated--Wet's inventive action design and fun gameplay pushed all the right buttons in me, though I doubt that's something you want to hear about. I also played through Trine for my first GPA review, which...well...I have nothing more to say about.
I also jumped into Scribblenauts, though I haven't done a single mission yet. All of my time has been spent arranging battles, with the T-Rex easily fending off every other animal i've put in his path. Well, at least until I sent the King of all Vampires after him. It wasn't pretty. Finally, I threw Mini Ninjas in my 360 to see if Hitman, Freedom Fighters and Kane & Lynch developer IO Interactive had finally managed to make a decent game. The answer: no.
