Nintendo

CHICAGO – When most of us first heard about “Dead Space Extraction,” we had a cautious reaction. There have been several successful franchises that attempt to release a semi-sequel on another console and the results usually do nothing more than tarnish the original title. Such is not the case with “Extraction,” a game that plays just as it should, an expansion of the “Dead Space” universe more than a precise continuation. It’s one of the best Wii games of the year.

CHICAGO – “The Conduit” is something old and something new. It is a very old-fashioned shooter that will remind an entire generation of college years spent wasted on titles like “Doom 2” and “Wolfenstein,” but it is a unique title for the typically family-driven Nintendo Wii.

CHICAGO – Majesco’s odd Nintendo DS version of “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” is a movie tie-in that uses the term more loosely than any in a very long time. Guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller in the movie), Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), and Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria) all make appearances, but what the rest of this title has to do with the movie is beyond me.

CHICAGO – The potential interactivity between handheld systems and next-gen consoles feels like an untapped resource in the gaming world but that’s starting to change in 2009. “Resistance: Retribution” on the PSP opened up an alternate mode when synced with “Resistance 2” on the PS3. Nintendo takes it a significant step further with “Final Fantasy Chronicles: Echoes of Time,” a well-made role-playing game that hints at the future of handheld and console interactivity by allowing multi-player across the platforms.

CHICAGO – Not every game fits every platform. Every once in a while, a game can make the jump from one next-gen console to another, but it’s just as often that a title misses the mark and crashes to the ground. Such is the case with Capcom’s anticipated “Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop,” a shooter with fun moments interspersed through awful gameplay and horrendous storytelling.