"Ghostbusters: The Video Game" (rated E, $60 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, $40 on Wii, $30 on PC and Nintendo DS, $20 on PlayStation 2): This game hardly needs an introduction. It's intended as a combination of a sequel to the two "Ghostbusters" movies as well as a way for players to relive scenes from those films. It's written by the same folks who wrote the movies, and it brings back Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. (Sorry, Rick Moranis fans.) While reviews haven't been off the charts, they've been exceptionally strong for a movie game. It's puzzling that Activision decided not to publish this game, which they originally inherited when they bought Sierra. Regardless, it'll make a ton of money for Atari, its new publisher. The Wii and PlayStation 2 version has a different developer from the 360/PS3/PC version, and review scores for the latter indicate it's likely the better game.

"Magic: The Gathering -- Duels of the Planeswalkers" (rated T, $10 Xbox Live Arcade download): It seems kind of weird that we're three-and-a-half years into the current console generation and we're just now getting a game based on Wizards of the Coast's smash-hit collectible trading card game. "Planeswalkers" makes up for its tardiness by costing a cool $10. As someone who played M:TG back in its early days and wrote one of the first newspaper articles about it when I was a high school senior interning at my hometown paper, I'll feel oddly like I've come full circle when I review this title. I haven't played the game in more than a decade, but I'm looking forward to getting my feet wet all over again.

"Guitar Hero: Smash Hits" (rated T, $60 on Xbox 360 and PS3, $50 on Wii, $40 on PS2): A smart idea if there ever was one, "Smash Hits" reformulates songs from "Guitar Hero," "Guitar Hero II," "Guitar Hero III" and "Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s" for play as a "full band" game. Unfortunately, you won't be able to copy these songs to your console's hard drive like you can in "Rock Band," but if you're looking for more songs to rock out to and you don't feel like downloadable content, you could do worse than this game. It's worth noting that, while the early "Guitar Hero" games featured songs being performed by a cover band, the tracks in "Smash Hits" are the originals. Full price seems kind of expensive for songs many have played already, so there's no shame in waiting a while to pick this up.

"Flower, Sun and Rain" (rated T, $30 on DS): This is a port of a PlayStation 2 game that was only released in Japan. It's worth a look because it's from developer Goichi Suda, aka Suda51, whose games ("Killer7," "No More Heroes") tend to draw cult followings. In "Flower, Sun and Rain," you play as a visitor to a tropical island who's stuck in a "Groundhog Day"-like loop, with each day ending in the detonation of an bomb on the island.

"Metal Gear Solid" (rated M, $10 PlayStation Network download for PS3 or PlayStation Portable): The first "Metal Gear Solid," originally a PlayStation game goes digital. If you, like me, missed out on all the "MGS" games and plan to play through them in order, the best buy is still last year's "Metal Gear Solid: The Ultimate Collection," which includes this game, plus the two PS2 titles for $40. But if you're just looking for a chance to get into a cardboard box and sneak around, this download'll work.

"Let's Tap" (rated E, $30 on Wii): This, uh, game has you setting the Wii remote down on a box or other flat surface and using your fingers to tap around it. I guess the vibrations make all sorts of stuff happen on screen. It sounds absolutely insane, but the reviews are intriguing. Sounds like the kind of thing you rent first before bringing it home for good. It also sounds like the kind of game that'll achieve cult status and sell for $80 on eBay in three years. Remember "Electroplankton?"

What I'll be playing this weekend: Still working my way through "inFAMOUS." It's a bit repetitive, in the same way people said "Assassin's Creed" was (lots of similar missions), but that's not stopping me from liberating Empire City one corner at a time. Yeah, I'm a good guy. I almost always play as a good guy the first time through. I may sneak in some "Culdcept Saga," "Space Invaders Extreme" or "Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers," but not for too long. "inFAMOUS" is my gaming master.

If you've recently gotten into gaming on the PC or Xbox 360, a recently announced bundle from 2K Games should give you dozens of hours of great single-player adventure for $40.

An upcoming retail package, announced this week, will pair Bethesda Softworks' "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" with 2K's "BioShock." Though its visuals and non-player characters' wooden dialogue delivery can make it seem a bit dated, "Oblivion" was arguably the first truly great game of this console generation when it was released in early 2006. The main game was fairly typical swords-and-sorcery fare, but the cool thing about "Oblivion" was all its concurrent storylines you could follow. The Thieves Guild quests stand right up there with any of Bethesda's work on "Fallout 3."

I can't say enough good things about "BioShock," unless you're talking about its lame final battle. Warts aside, it remains my favorite first-person shooter of this console generation. With the sequel due out this fall (albeit from a different creative director), this summer's a great time to go back and play the original if you haven't already.

The bundle of games will be out July 7 on Xbox 360 ($40) and PC ($30). Both games are rated M. The only downside is that it doesn't appear that "Oblivion" will be the Game of the Year edition that includes the majority of the game's downloadable content. Still, there's between 50 and 100 hours of gameplay in the core title alone, provided you're not one of those players who's always in a rush. I have an e-mail out to 2K about whether this bundle will include any of the downloadable content and will update this post once I hear back.

Last week, I dinged "Killzone 2" (rated M, $60 on PlayStation 3), the best-looking first-person shooter I've ever played, for lacking heart. Despite all its technical polish and great online play, I had difficulty getting into the single-player game because of its unimaginative dialogue, boring characters and bland story.

Compared with gamers who value online play over everything else, I'm a stickler for good writing. I tend to start single-player campaigns slowly, waiting for the story, dialogue or plot to take hold of me. If it never happens, chances are it'll take me an eternity to finish, as I'll just play bits and pieces of the game, crawling slowly toward the end. In the case of "Killzone 2," I largely played just a chapter at a time. My primary motivation for finishing the game wasn't to see what happens, but to get to the multiplayer part of the game. (I have this weird thing about finishing single-player campaigns before venturing online.)

In a well-written game, such as "BioShock," I'll start slowly, then become consumed with finishing it as the story takes hold. In "BioShock's" case, I think I played through the last half of a game in the course of a day or two, blowing off other commitments so I could see how it ended. (I'm the same way with books.) With that in mind, here are a few games whose writing has willed me toward the finish:

"BioShock" (rated M, $30 on Xbox 360 or PS3, $20 on PC): Rapture, the underwater utopia gone wrong that's the setting for "BioShock" has to be one of the most fully realized single-player game worlds to date. But the signature fun, for me, was crawling through the art deco ruins, unearthing all the audio diaries, and discovering the personalities that shaped the civilization before everything broke down. It was kind of a shame when the game ended in one of the lamest boss fights in recent memory.

"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" (rated T, out of print on Xbox, available in "Star Wars: The Best of PC" bundle for PC, $40): Any "Star Wars" fan who plays video games will tell you that this role-playing game from Bioware stands right up there with the original three movies. For my money, it's better. With a stunning plot twist that outdoes, "Luke, I am your father," "KotOR" stands as a testament to the medium's narrative power. A cast of memorable supporting characters includes HK-47, a psychotic protocol droid that refers to humans as "meatbags." Side note: Why the heck isn't this available on Steam?

"Psychonauts" (rated T, out of print on PlayStation 2 and Xbox, $15 Xbox Originals download over Xbox Live, $10 PC download on Steam): Good writing doesn't necessarily mean "great story." In the case of Sonoma native Tim Schafer's platform-jumping game, the story takes a back seat to the creative dialogue and novel game worlds. A summer camp for psychic children serves as a hub, but the real fun starts when you, one of the kids at the camp, journey into the minds of the characters you meet. My favorite moment occurs when you encounter an oversized, mutated lungfish. The journey into the fish's mind is straight out of a Japanese monster movie, with your gargantuan boy savaging buildings and destroying military vehicles. The action is interspersed with "newscasts" from the lungfish TV network chronicling the destruction. I've never laughed so hard at a game. Another standout level is set in M.C. Escher-influenced mind of a paranoid security guard terrified of a mysterious "milkman."

"Grand Theft Auto IV" (rated M, $40 on Xbox 360 or PS3, $30 on PC): Really, this could be any "GTA" game since "Grand Theft Auto III." Even if the crime-and-mayhem-oriented stories wouldn't normally be your cup of tea, the sheer volume of writing -- dialogue, missions, billboards, radio, TV and, in "GTA IV's" case, Internet -- means most gamers will find something to like. In my case, it's the dialogue every time your character, Niko Bellic, interacts with Brucie, an overcaffeinated, oversteroided bodybuilder who shouts constantly and refers to everything as "awesome."

"Portal" (rated T, Xbox 360 and PC, prices vary): There's not much in the way of story here. You're a prisoner of an insane computer that forces you to run through a number of tests using a gun that creates tiny warps in space. The memorable writing, though sparse, comes in the dialogue delivered by GLaDOS, the computer, as well as the many automated turrets you'll come across. (Sample: "Touching the floor will result in an unsatisfactory grade on your testing report, followed by death.")

"Tiger Woods: PGA Tour 10" bundle (rated E, $60 on Wii, includes Wii MotionPlus): You can play this game on just about any modern console or handheld, but only on the Wii can you pick up the game bundled with Wii MotionPlus, the new add-on for the Wii remote that allows for more precise motion controls. "Wii Sports Resort," Nintendo's big MotionPlus game, won't be out for a few weeks yet, ensuring Tiger dominates the market for just a little bit. Not drinking the MotionPlus Kool-Aid? Standard versions of Tiger go for $60 on PS3 and 360. Or you can buy the game without MotionPlus on Wii for $50.

"Grand Slam Tennis" (rated E, $60 on 360 or PS3, $50 on Wii) or "Virtua Tennis 2009" (rated E, $50 on 360 or PS3, $40 on Wii: Both of these tennis games are designed with MotionPlus in mind, as well. "Tiger Woods" is the only game currently bundled with the device, but you can buy it separately for $20.

"Prototype" (rated M, $60 on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, $50 on PC): Like the recent PlayStation 3 exclusive "inFAMOUS," "Prototype" is an open-world superhero game. I love this new mini-trend of making superhero games that aren't based on licensed characters. The fact that "inFAMOUS" and "Prototype" are based on wholly original characters gives the games' writers a lot more creative freedom and frees us players from expectations of the protagonists. In "Prototype," you play as Alex Mercer, a guy at the epicenter of a nasty disease outbreak in New York City. The outbreak appears to have killed a lot of people but also given Alex superpowers. Your mission is mostly just to kill lots of people, but along the way, you'll find out a few things about what gave Alex his superpowers and who's behind the outbreak. It's kind of weird that this is coming out just a week after "inFAMOUS." The two games are extremely similar in setting and themes. But whatever. "inFAMOUS" has been great to me so far, and "Prototype" is from the team behind last console generation's "The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction." There's definitely room for two NYC superhero/disaster games.

"Rock Band Unplugged" (rated T, $40 on PlayStation Portable): I honestly can't read about this game, a portable "Rock Band" that has you controlling every instrument at once, and not think of Appalachian one-man band/weirdo Hasil Adkins. The legend has it that, as a child, young Hasil heard musicians on the radio and thought they played all the instruments themselves. So, over time, he taught himself how to play drums and guitar at the same time. He went on to record hundreds of songs, but his signature accomplishment, aside from "No More Hotdogs," above, might be his "Poultry in Motion" album, whose songs are all about chickens. See? Who says you can't learn anything reading about video games all day?

"Call of Duty: World at War" (rated M, $60 on 360 or PS3): "Killzone 2" isn't the only big-time shooter getting new multiplayer maps this week. The second map pack for "World at War" will set you back $10 and includes four maps, one of which supports the game's zombie mode.

"Burnout Paradise" (rated T, $20 on 360 or PS3): The downloadable "Big Surf Island" sets you back $13 on the PS3 or $12.50 on the 360. It opens up a whole new gameplay area with dozens of new things to do.

"Bomberman Ultra" (rated T, $10 PlayStation Network download): It's probably because I went to college at the right time, but "Bomberman" was the first party game I fell in love with. "Ultra" is the PlayStation Network's equivalent to "Bomberman Live" on the Xbox 360, with classic, top-down graphics and the power-ups you remember. Run around a grid. Blow each other up. Repeat until giddy. Online play allows up to eight players.

"Sonic's Ultimate Collection" (rated E10+, $30 on Xbox 360 or PS3): A bunch of Sega Genesis classics went on sale over Xbox Live Arcade at $5 a pop. All but one of them ("Gunstar Heroes," which also hit the PlayStation Network) is available on this $30 disc, which includes a total of more than 40 games. Buying the games separately over Live will cost you more in the long run. On the other hand, you'll get 200 achievement points and leaderboards.

What I'll be playing this weekend: Now that I've reviewed "Killzone 2," I've moved onto "inFAMOUS." I've only played the first couple of missions, but I've fallen hard for the game. So lots of that. I'll probably mess around with a little more "Killzone 2" online, plus some "Culdcept Saga" and "Space Invaders Extreme" on the Xbox 360.

A first- or third-person shooter with both an epic single-player campaign and perfectly tuned, well-thought-out online play has become the white whale of video game design for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Both consoles are home to wonderful, single-player adventures and endlessly fun, battle-tested multiplayer bloodbaths. Yet no single game has hit the sweet spot, combining a compelling narrative and convincing acting with online gameplay that keeps the title fresh months after you've finished the offline part.

"Killzone 2" (rated M, $60 on PS3) falls firmly in the "decent online, so-so offline" camp, but not before teasing with a fantastic intro movie that only sets the stage for disappointment. An all-too-familiar gantlet of challenges has you checking out a downed aircraft for signs of survivors just in time to see the last one die, battling to gain control of a bridge, fighting your way to the front of a moving train, shoot down enemy aircraft with a turret, evacuating a disintegrating space ship and other missions you've probably finished half a dozen times in other, similar games.

The plot of "Killzone 2" revolves around invading the planet Helghan, the homeworld of an offshoot of humanity called the Helghast. In the first "Killzone" on PS2, the Helghast staged a surprise assault on a planet controlled by the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance. In the sequel, you play as Sgt. Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko, an member of an ISA special forces unit tasked with infiltrating the Helghan capital and capturing the planet's dictator, Scolar Visari.

Like a lot of video game sequels, "Killzone 2" could use some kind of "previously in 'Killzone' and 'Killzone: Liberation'" movie to set the stage. Those of us who didn't play "Killzone" or its PSP sequel would probably be more fired up to stick it to the Helghast if we were brought up to speed on their previous assault on the ISA planet of Vekta. But even the most basic information on the world and characters of "Killzone" is missing from the game's instruction manual. I had to turn to Wikipedia for all my exposition. I realize first-person shooters are the video game equivalent of summer blockbusters; few people play them for the story. But a little exposition would go a long way.

That's not to say the the opening moments of "Killzone 2" aren't memorable. The game begins with a defiant speech by Visari, brilliantly brought to life by veteran Scottish actor Brian Cox, as ISA forces begin their D-Day-like assault on Helghan's heavily fortified defenses. The heart-pounding score, fiery oratory and "Saving Private Ryan"-style shots of the battleground hoodwink you into thinking you're in for a series of white-knuckle battles tied together by a decent war story.

Sadly, Cox (a Shakespearean actor whose voice you may recognize from his turn as a screenwriting teacher in Spike Jonze's "Adaptation") is absent for the majority of the rest of the game. Most of the rest of the actors, as well as the lines they're given, never approach the quality of that first tease, and much of the dialogue is unprintable on the website of a family newspaper. The overall effect is as if Ben Kingsley were cast in an episode of "Rock of Love." Cox sticks out like a sore thumb.

Ham-handed writing aside, the production values are as good as anything you'll find in console gaming. The toxic, barren world of Helghan is rendered stunningly via its bomb-cratered urban wasteland, Nazi-inspired architecture and air so choked with toxins it makes Beijing look like Antarctica. (For some unexplained reason, the Helghast wear gas masks on their inhospitable home world, while the maskless ISA troops never so much as cough while fighting through the haze.)

While pretty much all the levels of the single-player game will remind you of something you played somewhere else, they all look fantastic. Designwise, most levels have you using the game's cover mechanic to slowly inch forward, capturing one key choke point at a time. The Helghast are a fairly cunning computer-controlled foe, as well. They seem to realize the importance of holding choke points on the map and will sometimes force you to temporarily back up. They also do a fair job of flanking you. On a few occasions, I was convinced I'd covered my behind, only to have one or two Helgast slip behind me and start blasting away. You can never get too comfortable.

Ultimately, though, the familiar gameplay, weak writing and generally short campaign mean folks only interested in offline play will want to make "Killzone 2" a rental or budget purchase. Online play, however, is well-tuned and robust.

For those looking for PS3 online experiences similar to what you'll get on the Xbox 360's "Halo 3" or "Gears of War 2," "Killzone 2" should be your first stop. Though it doesn't support as many features as those titles, it does offer a "Call of Duty"-style hierarchy with several classes of specialization to choose from. The game also features a clan system that lets you unite with other, like-minded, similarly skilled folks.

"Killzone 2" ships with eight, well-balanced (if sometimes overly symmetrical) multiplayer maps and a variety of somewhat standard game modes. (Two pieces of downloadable content priced at $6 add two new maps each.) My favorite game type was Assassination, in which one team is tasked with taking out a specific player on the other team. The target must stay within a designated area, and his teammates must do everything they can to keep him alive until the timer runs out.

Other game types include capture-the-flag variant Search and Retrive, team killcount varient Body Count and a territory-control mode called Capture and Hold. A fifth game type, Search and Destroy has one team trying to set explosive charges to destroy a target, while the other team defends.

Between the eight to 12 maps, five gametypes and deep class system, you're unlikely to run out of things to do online. If throwing yourself into the fire against a bunch of l33t strangers isn't your bag, the skirmish mode lets you practice the online modes offline against computer-controlled bots. The only things really missing are a couple more game types and online co-op play during the campaign. The latter, in particular, seems like it should be a given when Sev's got at least one guy fighting alongside him for much of the game.

First off, if you own an PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, and you haven't used it to download or stream the numerous E3-related videos Sony and Microsoft have made available, you're a bad gamer. There's so much cool footage to check out you could easily burn up an evening or two just downloading and watching presentations and trailers. I wholeheartedly recommend the Microsoft videos of Project Natal, the Sony keynote presentation and trailers for most of the games I've highlighted here over the past few days. While it's not the same as actually going to E3 and seeing the games in person, it's a nice, affordable consolation prize.

Beyond E3, there wasn't much going on this week. After all, what's the point in releasing a game when all these new gadgets are stealing headlines and your PR people are all out of the office? But that didn't stop Electronic Arts from releasing "The Sims 3," a sure-fire, no-brainer megahit.

"The Sims 3" (rated T, $50 on PC): If you've played or seen any of the previous "Sims" titles, you know what to expect. You'll create a virtual person and micromanage their life, as well as the lives of several people around them. Unlike its predecessors, "The Sims 3" is supposed to feature more fluid exploration of the neighborhood around your sim's home, as well as a number of improvements and activities that were included in "Sims 2" expansions. According to IGN UK's review, EA has clearly implemented a number of changes to minimize the micromanaging of previous titles. There's also a more robust character-creation toolset. The general consensus is that "3" is in the same league, quality-wise, as other "Sims" titles, and maybe a bit more friendly to folks who fall outside of the sphere of the series' die-hard fanbase.

"Final Fantasy VII" (rated T, $10 PlayStation Network download, playable on PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable): This game is more than 10 years old, but it's a classic, and it's been out of print for ages. After foolishly tossing my PC copy of the game, I ended up paying about $50 three years ago for this game. Lately, I'd seen it for $75. In other words, if you have a yen to play this classic role-playing game, $10 is a steal. Be warned, though, that the graphics don't hold up all that well. (The in-game movies still look great, though.)

"Final Fantasy IV: The After Years" (rated E, $8 WiiWare download): This port of a Japanese cell phone game is a true sequel to "Final Fantasy IV." (For the uninitiated, generally, each "Final Fantasy" game is its own, self-contained story, with a handful of exceptions. So "Final Fantasy V" features none of the same characters from "Final Fantasy IV.") It basically looks like "FFIV" and stars the son of two of the characters from its predecessor.

"Red Faction Guerilla" (rated M, $60 on Xbox 360 or PS3): This third-person shooter takes place on Mars, 50 years after the original "Red Faction." As the title would suggest, you play as a guerilla, fighting for freedom against a totalitarian regime called the Earth Defense Force. (Side note: Didn't EDF once save the world from giant ants?)

"Overlord 2" demo (rated T, free download from Xbox Live or PlayStation Network): The original "Overlord" had a wonderfully perverse sense of humor, mixing the stylings of a game like "Lemmings" or "Pikmin" with the mischief-making of "Gremlins." In short, you're an evil character, with a slew of "minions" at your command. The minions have various strengths and weaknesses, and you'll use them to solve a variety of environmental challenges as you loot and pillage your way across the land.

"Wolfenstein 3D" (rated M, $5 on Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Network): This game has the distinction of being the first popular first-person shooter. Unsurprisingly, it's also the first shooter in which you kill Nazis. It probably doesn't hold up so well anymore, but it's $5. If you played the original and have a nostalgic itch, you could do worse.

What I'll be playing this weekend: Finally finished the "Killzone 2" campaign, so I'll be spending some time with the multiplayer with an eye toward reviewing it next week. Beyond that, I might sneak in a little "Culdcept Saga" on the 360 or fire up "inFAMOUS."

With my favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals, in town this weekend to play the Giants, it seems as good a time as any to talk about how sports games can enhance fans' love, appreciation and knowledge of sports.

I can trace my Cardinals fandom back to the early 1980s. I first became aware of the team growing up in Wisconsin in 1982, when they beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series. But I was only 6 at the time, and neither of my parents was much of a baseball fan. My most vivid memory of a trip to County Stadium in 1980 or so was the enormity of the parking lot. So once we moved to the western side of the state, where the closest team was the Brewers' archrivals, the Minnesota Twins, two hours away, I grew up relatively allegianceless. I remember rooting for the Cards in the '87 Series, mainly because they were playing the Twins, but I wasn't yet a fan.

All this changed when my friends and I got "R.B.I. Baseball" for the Nintendo Entertainment System. I couldn't exaggerate the number of weekends I spent over at my friend Noel's house, rapping out cheap infield singles with the Cards' punchless lineup. The blazing speed of Vince Coleman, the fastest player in the game, plus teammates Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith made this team play like a squad with three Juan Pierres. The fun I had playing with the Cards, plus the front-running nature of any little kid, gave me a love for the Redbirds that's lasted until this day. (I should note that my interest waned temporarily once the Cardinals acquired Mark McGwire, who simply wouldn't have fit in on that "R.B.I. Baseball" squad.)

Since that time, playing baseball video games, along with fantasy baseball and the wide availability of stat-heavy articles on the Web, has hugely enhanced my understanding of the game. I remember the epiphany I had the first time I saw a right-handed pitcher strike out the left-handed Jim Thome by throwing him nothing but low breaking balls just off the outside corner of the plate, the same pitch I'd used to get Thome out countless times in "MVP Baseball 2005" on the Xbox. The New York Mets' Johan Santana, baseball's best pitcher over the past five seasons, has said he prepares for his starts by using a video game to scout the opposing team's hitters.

This enhanced appreciation isn't by any means unique to baseball. A fairly unscientific earlier this year showed the more time "Madden NFL" players spent on the game, the better they were able to answer a variety of questions related to football. I've heard anecodotally, though I'm having difficulty finding documentation on the Web, that college and NFL coaches say that recruits with a history of playing "Madden" are often the quickest to pick up a new playbook and schemes. Looking back on it, I probably wouldn't have made so many boneheaded defensive plays in Little League if I'd been playing "MLB 09: The Show" every day.

"inFAMOUS" (rated T, $60 for PlayStation 3): I'm itching to try out Sucker Punch's PS3-exclusive, open-world superhero adventure. For one thing, the creation of a new superhero unshackles the game's writers from the expectations of fans and the oversight of a license holder. They'll never have to hear the words, "But Wonder Woman would never do that!" You play this third-person adventure as a bike messenger who unexpectedly finds himself with superpowers after an explosion destroys a huge swath of, um, Empire City. (No idea what that could be a stand-in for.) You can play it as a good guy or a bad guy, and, as is usually the case with games like this, your moral choices will affect the game's plot as well as the abilities available for you to unlock. So it's sort of like a cross between "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" and "Grand Theft Auto."

"Up" (rated E10+, $40 on Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3; $20 on PS2 and PC; $30 on DS and PlayStation Portable): I'm actually not recommending this at all. I just wanted to wonder aloud how long it will be before Pixar, which obviously puts thousands of hours of labor, fastidious attention to detail and lots of love into its movies, starts taking a little pride in the games that carry the same name as the films. By no means does "Up" look to be a travesty, but come on, people.

"Secret Agent Clank" (rated E10+, $20 on PS2): If you're a fan of the "Ratchet & Clank" series and missed this when it came out for the PSP, now's your chance to play it on a console.

"Guitar Hero: World Tour" (rated T, variable prices on just about every machine): If you're a fan of "Boogie Nights," the animated "Transformers: The Movie" from the '80s, cheesy rock songs and/or Internet memes, Stan Bush's "The Touch" is available as a free download for this game. Sadly, this is the 2007 version of the track, so gamers of, ahem, a certain age, might feel something's missing.

"Bubble Bobble Plus" (rated E, $6 WiiWare download): This continues the recent trend of arcade classics being remade with prettied-up graphics and new game modes.

"Resident Evil: Director's Cut" (rated M, $10 PlayStation Network download): If you've missed out on the game that first defined and popularized the survival horror genre, and you don't have a Wii on which to play the GameCube remake, this is your best bet.

"Bionic Commando Rearmed" (rated M, on sale for $5 from Xbox Live Arcade): Just as I said a couple of weeks ago, when this game was $5 on the PlayStation Network, there's no excuse other than poverty to pass this up at this price.

What I'll be playing this weekend: I'll finally be finishing off the single-player part of "Killzone 2" on the PS3. I'm so close I can taste it. From there, I'll be continuing on to the multiplayer with an eye on finally reviewing it the week after E3. (Newsroom duties prevent me from going to E3, but I'll be obsessively following it and blogging about it whenever I get the chance next week.) Aside from "Killzone 2," I'll be spending the next couple of nights watching my beloved St. Louis Cardinals take on the Giants.

I did miss "Bionic Commando Rearmed" the first time around, but I nabbed it for $5 on the 360. No idea when I'll actually get around to playing it. I just couldn't pass up a good game for $5. I also grabbed The Zombies' "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No" so I'd have 'em on hand for our next "Rock Band 2" party. No idea when that'll be, though. If you're a fan of late '60s pop, I highly recommend The Zombies' "Odessey and Oracle" album, which was rereleased a few years ago. Video for "Hung Up on a Dream" below. Or rather audio with, uh, footage of the album cover.

Even though Nintendo's console is far and away the top seller this generation, great,
buzz-generating games can trickle out in dribs and drabs. Oh, sure, there's an ample slate of new releases every week, but most of 'em have titles like "Help Wanted: 50 Wacky Jobs!" and "Hannah Montana the Movie." A lot of Wii titles will appeal to a particular niche, like "Word Jong Party," or make a decent rental, like "Dead Rising: Chop
Till You Drop." But bona fide blockbusters have been scarce.

The violent, game-show oriented "Mad World" (rated M, $50) from Sega got plenty of gamers talking with its blood-spattered, black-and-white visuals. But review scores, though favorable, and sales figures failed to match the hype. For its part, Nintendo seems to have been happy to spend the early part of the year releasing GameCube games with added motion controls while the Wii temporarily took a back seat to the DSi, the latest iteration of the company's handheld gaming device.

Well, the console's slow start to 2009 is finally over, with this week's arrival of "Punch-Out!!" (rated E10+, $50) headlining a strong week. The game's minimalist moniker, absent the word Wii or a catchy subtitle, is no accident, as the 2009 iteration of the game will be instantly familiar to anyone who's played the classic (available on the Virtual Console for a $5 download). It has 11 fighters from the original game, a couple of fighters from "Super Punch-Out!!" and a few surprises. If you're a "Punch-Out!!" veteran, you'll probably breeze through the main game, but once you finish, the game's Title Defense
mode makes you fight everyone again. They're a lot tougher the second time around, naturally. In a nod to "Punch-Out's" retro roots, the remake even lets you skip the motion controls, hold the Wii remote sideways and stick with the original NES control scheme of directional pad and two buttons.

Of the reviews I've read, most of them written by critics old enough to have played the original, nearly all praise "Punch-Out!!" as excellent fan service, as well as a solid game in its own right.

"Boom Blox Bash Party" (rated E, $40 on Wii): This is a beefed-up sequel to Steven
Spielberg's well-reviewed physics-and-action-based puzzle game. The $40 title features hundreds of new challenges, as well as the ability to make your own and share them with others online. The game's team-based, easy-to-grasp gameplay and E rating make it a great buy for families looking for something new.

"The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" (rated E, $10 download from the Wii's Virtual Console): The Wii's Virtual Console, where you can download games from older Nintendo systems, as well as several other old-school game consoles, just hit its 300th game this week. To celebrate, Nintendo made sure that game was a classic. "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" (rated E, $10) is the well-reviewed follow-up to "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time." "Majora's Mask," originally released on the Nintendo 64, sends series hero Link to a world due to be destroyed in three days, in search of the titular mask.

"EA Sports Active" ($60, rated E on Wii): If you thought "Wii Fit" was a little too much of a game and not enough of a workout program, Electronic Arts' latest might be what you're looking for. The game ships with some resistence bands that attach to the Wii controllers and can also be used with "Wii Fit's" balance board. I wonder how many of those Nintendo would sell if they let EA bundle it with this game.

"Bionic Commando" (rated M, $60 on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360): You've got to give it to Capcom for trying something new with this remake of an old 8-bit game. You won't play another game like this 3D mashup of third-person shooter, Spider-Man game and parkour adventure. Reviews suggest that "Bionic Commando" is something of a noble failure, though. It's got an insipid main character and bland writing, but the risks it takes with game design make it worth checking out. Whether you're willing to pay full price to do so is up to you.

"UFC 2009: Undisputed" (rated T, $60 on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360): I never really got into the whole wrestling/ultimate fighting/mixed martial arts scene, but the reviews on this year's "UFC" are decent enough that fans should find plenty to like.

"inFAMOUS" demo (rated M, free download from the PS3's PlayStation Network): The $60 game won't hit stores until next week, but if you want a free taste of Sony's, open-world superhero adventure, here's your chance.

What I'll be playing this weekend: Not much of anything. Probably a little "Killzone 2," a little "Gears of War 2." If I have the patience to download it, I might give the "inFAMOUS" demo a whirl.

SPOILER ALERT: This blog post revolves around "Broken Steel," the new downloadable content for "Fallout 3" that continues the game's story beyond its original ending. In the course of reviewing "Broken Steel," I'll be discussing the conclusion of "Fallout 3" as well as how "Broken Steel" reworks it. I also briefly touch upon the plot of "Fable II." While I won't go into specifics, some of what I discuss could spoil plot elements for those who haven't completed it.

As gamers reached the end of Bethesda Softworks' post-nuclear role-playing adventure "Fallout 3" last fall, it was nearly impossible to escape criticism of the game's controversial ending. Bethesda ran afoul of many players because the open-world game failed to adhere to a design convention that's become nearly standard in large, open-world games: "Fallout 3" actually ended.

Unlike Rockstar Games' "Grand Theft Auto" series or Bethesda's own swords-and-sorcery epics, "Fallout 3" did not allow players who've completed its core story to go back and complete side quests, explore every last nook and cranny or unlock every achievement. In fact, depending on how you played the game, your character may very well have died.

"Broken Steel," the third, $10 downloadable add-on for PC and Xbox 360 players of "Fallout 3," attempts to address complaints about the ending as well as the contention that the game's level cap of 20 was too low. But did these issues need fixing to begin with?

As I said back when I reviewed the game, the ending of "Fallout 3" was clunky and inelegant. But the narrative decision to kill the hero was a welcome departure from the usual, victory-lap endings so often found in games. In my playthrough, I chose to trade the life of the character I'd sunk dozens of hours into building so that other residents of the nuke-blasted Capital Wasteland might live better lives. My decision dovetailed perfectly with the game's persistent humanist message that strong-willed, like-minded individuals are capable of coming together to ensure humanity endures even in the bleakest of circumstances.

At the beginning of "Broken Steel," however, players who made the same choice I did will discover that no sacrifice was made at all. In the name of continuity, your character's death has been commuted into a near death and subsequent coma, from which you've just awakened. Because of this, I initially regarded "Broken Steel" as a moment of weakness for Bethesda, a capitulation to a bunch of whiners who want every game to be the same and who didn't appreciate how well the decision to turn the main character into a martyr meshed with "Fallout 3's" narrative and thematic arcs.

In a way, I still think this, but I'm willing to admit I might be wrong. In fact, the first thing I found myself doing when I fired up "Broken Steel" was not tackling the new quests, but wrapping up unfinished business from my first playthrough.

Once you dive into "Broken Steel" and begin helping some of your allies from the main game conduct mop-up operations, it's easy to set aside any misgivings about narrative sleights of hand. The three primary quests are as gripping and fun to race through as the missions from the end of the main game.

You'll take part in large-scale battles, trudge through tunnels crawling with new, lethal enemies, infiltrate heavily fortified enemy positions and wield a new superweapon. In addition, there are at least three new side quests you can take part in that let you see some of the tangible results of your efforts the first time through the game.

The raising of the level cap to 30, along with the addition of new abilities you can unlock, lets you feel like you're still progressing, but characters will be nearly maxed-out on their skills and so over-powered by level 23 or so that most enemies simply won't feel like much of a challenge. Bethesda balances this somewhat by adding a handful of tougher foes, but you still might find yourself tweaking the difficulty settings.

I'm still troubled by the idea that a game developer would make a bold narrative decision to allow players to sacrifice a protagonist's life for the benefit of humanity, only to later render that sacrifice moot by declaring in a $10 download that the sacrifice didn't really happen at all. Lionhead Studios, developer of "Fable II" for the Xbox 360, did something similar in that game, in which the "Knothole Island" expansion allowed characters to resurrect a popular character who, depending on how you played the game, may have been sacrificed in the name of the greater good.

Hopefully the idea of using downloadable content to reverse bold narrative choices every time fans of the game make a little noise doesn't become a trend. There's wanting to please your fans (good), and there's betraying your artistic vision (bad). "Broken Steel" falls into a middle ground. It's lame that my character's selfless act was nullified, but the ending was a mixed bag as originally written, so tampering with it bothers me less. What I don't want, though, is for the people who write stories for video games to shy away from narratives that challenge, shock and, yes, disappoint gamers. Shakespeare killed off Romeo and Juliet in the name of good art. We deserve no less in gaming.