Xbox 360

CHICAGO – One might assume that the disappointing Jake Gyllenhaal summer action flick “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” would have a movie tie-in game that’s equally frustrating but Ubisoft’s “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands” is actually unrelated to the film other than being a part of the franchise that inspired it. No, you won’t be able to play Alfred Molina’s ostrich races, although you may wish you could.

CHICAGO – 2K Sports announced today that the legendary Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan would grace the cover of “NBA 2K11,” to hit stores on October 5th, 2010. Just as the current season is ending with a potentially historic finals game between the longtime rivals Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, 2K Sports looks to the past of the popular sport for the next installment of their hit franchise.

CHICAGO – As the video marketplace gets more and more crowded, it becomes even harder for some titles to stand above the competition, especially in the incredibly crowded month of May 2010. It takes confidence to challenge highly anticipated titles like “Red Dead Redemption,” “Alan Wake,” “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” and “ModNation Racers” for gamer dollars.

CHICAGO – With echoes of the literature of Stephen King, “The Twilight Zone,” “Twin Peaks,” and “Lost,” the Xbox-exclusive “Alan Wake” is a daring, ambitious title that demands your attention. Why? Because while it’s an imperfect title on a gameplay level and I wish I could have tweaked the storytelling a bit, games that try to break the mold and present something this unique deserve an audience.

CHICAGO – After watching a large number of their soldiers pick up their gear and trudge off to the amazing multiplayer of “Battlefield: Bad Company 2,” Activision and Infinity Ward have made some recent moves designed to bring video game warriors back to the beloved “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2”. Xbox 360 players got the “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package” first but it’s now available on the PS3 with word of a “Resurgence Pack” hot on its heels.

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Carnival

CHICAGO – This 5-image slideshow contains the official press images of the five new maps soon-to-be available for “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” in the DLC entitled “Resurgence Pack”. The add-on will be available on the XBLA on June 3rd, 2010.

Video Game Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Namco Bandai’s latest punch-and-shoot game, “Dead to Rights: Retribution,” has moments of visceral enjoyment but they become fewer and farther between as the structural flaws and awful combat system make the title nearly impossible to enjoy. As poorly designed games get more difficult, their drawbacks go from annoying to aggravating with deaths caused more by game design than player control. “Dead to Rights: Retribution” is such a game.

CHICAGO – When the representative who sent me a copy of the newest Square Enix RPG “Nier” suggested that I needed to give the game time to impress me, I was immediately concerned. Modern gamers don’t like to wait for their entertainment. And, more often than not, “wait, it gets better” is a false promise. But not in the case of “Nier”.

Video Game Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – With a consistently intriguing story, excellent voice work, and perfectly-paced gameplay, the Microsoft Xbox 360 game “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction” is a surprisingly accomplished title, one that will suck you in for hours on end and nearly make you feel like a superspy yourself.

Video Game Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Those of us that are wildly addicted to “Bejeweled Blitz” and played through “Puzzle Quest” like a gleeful toddler with a new toy were pretty psyched that the developers of the latter, spectacular Nintendo DS title were releasing a DLC game called “Puzzle Chronicles”. Once again, our puzzle-loving persona could meld with the kid inside us who misses the days when he played Dungeons and Dragons in his basement. Sadly, “Puzzle Chronicles” only barely delivers.