‘Monsters’ fine for kids; ‘Godfather’ fun for adults
You can't find two games more psychologically different than a shooting game, where you blast holes into cops' faces, and a kiddie game, where a main purpose is to endearingly smash crates. So that's what we're doing this week. It's "The Godfather II" vs. "Monsters vs. Aliens." Let's go to the movies!
I'll start with "Monsters vs. Aliens," since it's based on a mega-popular, computer-animated 3-D film for families.
I'm not kidding when I say your goal is to smash crates. To be fair, you also smash space-type machines in a spaceship-type environment, and you Rollerblade across rails, and ... blah, blah blah. The plot is ... whatever, who cares.
I am being flippant, because I've seen this type of movie-based game before. You play along a preset path. You step into the shoes of a very tall woman who Rollerblades and stuff along a predestined path. You also play as a blob that glides like a mop, and as a Tasmanian Devil-ish guy who punches things.
All this seems to me like an updated, fancy version of the 1990s hit, "Crash Bandicoot."
So for an adult like me, the game "Monsters vs. Aliens" -- which is not 3-D, as the film is -- is a yawner. But I have to say it's definitely suitable and probably fun times for many kids, as long as you parents don't mind the flatulence jokes. What is childhood without flatulence, after all, apparently?
Adult gamers may be much more impressed by "Godfather II." This new "Godfather" game starts in Cuba in 1958. You do not play as Michael or any of those Corleones. You portray Dominic, a young new Don who must battle rival families in New York, Miami and Havana.
You hijack cars; drive to rivals' businesses with tough guys in tow (a safe cracker, a dynamiter, and so on); you beat people to death; you intimidate people; you sweet talk topless strippers; you hear glorious Dean Martin songs and old-school dialogue like, "What a drip" and "Eat lead!"
"Godfather II" is, as you gamers understand, similar in tone, texture and game play to the "sandbox" experience that worked so well in "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" and "Saints Row 2," just to name a couple of titles where you roam a huge city, but also carry out predetermined missions.
The game lacks certain technical finesse. Images don't appear to be ornately drawn, and moving around feels a smidgen sloppy. And yet, I am already feeling pretty addicted to playing "Godfather II," far more than the first "Godfather" game. It's fun.
By the way, "Godfather II's" antiheroes behave far more monstrously than the Earth-saving hero-monsters of "Monsters vs. Aliens." Is it just assumed these days that all our protagonists must be monsters of one sort or another?
("The Godfather II" by EA retails for $60 for Xbox 360 and PS 3 -- Addicting fun, despite faults. Looks very good. Challenging. Rated "M" for blood, drug reference, intense violence, nudity, sexual themes, strong language. Four stars out of four.)
("Monsters vs. Aliens" by Activision retails for $50 for Wii; PS 3 and Xbox 360; $30 for PS 2 and DS; $20 for PC -- Plays dull for an adult, maybe just fine for various kids. Looks good. Easy. Rated "E 10+" for cartoon violence, comic mischief. One and one-half stars.)
What do you think? Tell me at delfman@reviewjournal.com, or post your reviews and rants at reviewjournal.com/elfman. My column appears Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
NEW IN STORES
"Ninja Blade" is an extraordinarily detailed visual action game that drops you into Tokyo, where virus-infected gruesome folks must be sliced and diced by your sword and your superpowers. Early reviews suggest it very ambitiously tries to mix elements of "God of War" and "Ninja Gaiden," with solid results, but not reaching those classics' level of superior quality game play. The game retails for $60 for Xbox 360. It's rated "M" for blood and violence.
"My Horse & Me: Riding for Gold" gives you a horse, and you find yourself grooming it, feeding it, and competing in jumping, cross country and dressage competitions. The animal-simulation release retails for $20 for DS. It retails for Wii on April 28 for $30. It's rated "E."
"Samurai Shodown Anthology" brings its wrongly spelled "Shodown" arcade fighting to the Wii with this collection of seven old fighting games, "Samurai Shodown" versions "I," "II," "III," "IV," "V," "V Special Edition" and "VI." The game retails for $30 for Wii. It's rated "T" for animated blood, crude humor, language, suggestive themes, tobacco reference and violence.
"Party Pigs: Farmyard Games" has you play as, uh, pigs that play games in the farmyard. There are seven track-and-field events, soccer, diving, swimming and more. You can play solo against the game, but the promise of the game sounds as if it could be more entertaining as a multiplayer. The kid's-game release retails for $20 for Wii. It's rated "E" for comic mischief.
-- By DOUG ELFMAN
