Think of the Children for December 12
The Macintosh gets back on the board this week, but only with some casual games. Dominoes, Super Dominoes, First to Fight and Gem Shop highlight their week’s totals. Maybe someday the Mac will become a viable gaming platform, but as it looks, that may not become a reality for a few more years.
¡Bienvenido a la exposición! That is for Electronic Arts, which had the Spanish version of Madden 08 (Madden NFL 08 en Español) rated for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 2. First time I have seen a foreign language title rated through the ESRB that wasn’t for self-help or language learning.
The Next-Gen consoles had quite a few titles this week, with the Xbox 360 (8) and PS3 (4) having 13 total between them. Besides Karaoke Revolution (see below), March Madness 08 and Frontlines: Fuel of War were rated for both platforms. Unreal Tournament 3 was a PS3 title only, while the Xbox 360 had a couple of Xbox Live Arcade titles in Chessmaster LIVE, Bliss Island, Poker Smash and Spongebob SquarePants. Again, kind of a weak crop except Unreal Tournament 3.
The Nintendo platforms are whoring games out at an amazing clip. Still. Another week and another 20 of 53 titles belong to the Wii, DS or GBA. Frankly, I am getting sick of the junk they keep trotting out. Sequels, lame kid titles and the obscure seem to be the norm. The old quantity over quality seems to really be taking hold here. I guess keeping the handheld titles sub $30 means they have to produce twice as many to earn the same dollar as the consoles. Oh well, enjoy Puyo Puyo 2, Baseball Stars 2, Homie Rollerz, Puppy Palace and Paws & Claws Pet Vet 2 on your weak Nintendo platforms.
There were a couple of titles I don’t remember hearing about, including Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore (Please, shoot me now!), Bliss Island from Codemasters and Rock & Roll Jeopardy! (Based on the short-lived show and hosted by future Survivor face man Jeff Probst). Unreal Tournament 3 for the PS3 and PC also went live (garnering an ‘M’).
Here is the final tally on who, what and where everything was rated for the last two weeks. There were 53 rated entries on seven platforms. Windows PC (22), Nintendo DS (15) and Xbox 360 (9) had the most games rated. There were 44 of the 53 games were rated at E10+ or lower, seven rated at T for Teen and two rated at M for Mature.
Until next week, make sure you know what your kids are playing……
| Title | Rating | Content | Platforms |
| Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore | E | Mild Lyrics, | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 |
| Neptune's Secret | E | No Descriptors | Windows PC |
| RACE Official WTCC Game | E | No Descriptors | Windows PC |
| Buzz Jr.! Monster Rally | E | Comic Mischief | PlayStation 2 |
| Dominoes | E | No Descriptors | Macintosh, Windows PC |
| Paws & Claws Pet Vet 2 | E | No Descriptors | Nintendo DS |
| Super Dominoes | E | No Descriptors | Macintosh, Windows PC |
| Blitzkrieg 2 Liberation | T | Mild Language, Violence | Windows PC |
| Chessmaster LIVE | E | No Descriptors | Xbox 360 |
| Frontlines: Fuel of War | T | Blood, Language, Violence | Windows PC, Xbox 360, PS3 |
| Jewel Quest Solitaire 2 | E | Alcohol and Tobacco Reference | Windows PC |
| Paws and Claws Pet Resort | E | No Descriptors | Windows PC, Nintendo DS |
| Puppy Palace | E | No Descriptors | Nintendo DS |
| Spitfire Heroes: Tales of the RAF | E10+ | Violence | Nintendo DS |
| Advance Wars: Days of Ruin | E10+ | Language, Mild Violence | Nintendo DS |
| Anno 1701 | E | Mild Violence | Nintendo DS |
| Baseball Stars 2 | E | No Descriptors | Wii |
| Bliss Island | E | Comic Mischief | Xbox 360 |
| Brain Assist | E | No Descriptors | Nintendo DS |
| Daycare Nightmare | E | Animated Blood, Comic Mischief | Windows PC |
| Deal or No Deal; Secret Vault Games | E | No Descriptors | Windows PC |
| Drake and Josh Talent Showdown | E | Mild Cartoon Violence | Nintendo DS |
| Homie Rollerz | E | Mild Cartoon Violence, | Nintendo DS |
| Madden NFL 08 en Español | E | No Descriptors | PlayStation 2 |
| Madden NFL 08 en Español | E | No Descriptors | Xbox 360 |
| Magic Ball 3 | E10+ | Alcohol Reference, | Windows PC |
| Puyo Puyo 2 | E | No Descriptors | Wii |
| Rock & Roll JEOPARDY! | E | No Descriptors | Windows PC |
| Plushees | E | No Descriptors | Nintendo DS |
| NCAA March Madness 08 | E | No Descriptors | PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PS3 |
| Next Life | T | Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, | Windows PC |
| Nobunaga's Ambition: Rise to Power | T | Alcohol Reference, | PlayStation 2 |
| Blackbeard's Revenge | E10+ | Mild Violence | Windows PC |
| SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam! | E | Comic Mischief, | Xbox 360 |
| Sprint Cars: Showdown at Eldora | E | No Descriptors | PlayStation 2 |
| Kidz Sports Basketball | E | No Descriptors | Wii |
| Poker Smash | E | Mild Language | Xbox 360 |
| Brain Challenge | E | Mild Cartoon Violence, | Nintendo DS |
| Chromadrome 2 | E | Mild Cartoon Violence | Windows PC |
| Bases Loaded | E | No Descriptors | Wii |
| DARKNESS WITHIN: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder | T | Mild Blood, Violent References | Windows PC |
| Fritz Chess Grandmaster Challenge III | E | No Descriptors | Windows PC |
| First to Fight | T | Blood, Violence | Macintosh, Windows PC |
| Galaxy of Mahjongg | E | No Descriptors | Windows PC |
| Gem Shop | E | No Descriptors | Macintosh, Windows PC |
| Eco Creatures: Save the Forest | E | Mild Cartoon Violence, | Nintendo DS |
| Starship Troopers | M | Blood and Gore, | Windows PC |
| The Dynastic Hero | E | Comic Mischief | Wii |
| Power Golf | E | No Descriptors | Wii |
| NEOGEO Battle Coliseum | T | Animated Blood, | PlayStation 2 |
| Pet Pals: Animal Doctor | E | Mild Blood | Nintendo DS |
| Paws & Claws Dogs & Cats Best Friends | E | No Descriptors | GBA, Nintendo DS |
| Unreal Tournament 3 | M | Blood and Gore, | Windows PC, PlayStation 3 |
* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.
About Author
Like many gamers in their 40's, I developed my love of gaming from my Commodore 64 after we wore out our Intellivision. I spent countless hours wandering around the streets of Skara Brae, as my life was immersed in The Bard's Tale series on the C-64, D&D Titles and any/all Epyx titles (California Summer and Winter Games) and sports titles. After taking the early 90's off from gaming (college years) minus the occasional Bill Walsh College Football on Sega, I was re-introduced to PC games in the mid 1990's with a couple of little games called DOOM II and Diablo. I went all-in with the last generation of consoles, getting an Xbox 360 on launch weekend as well as adding a PS3 and Wii in subsequent years. I now am into the current-generation (latest?) of consoles with the WiiU and Xbox One. Recently, I was able to get back into PC gaming and have enjoyed it very much, spending most of my time going solo or playing with my fellow GamingNexus staffers in controlled multiplayer action.
While my byline is on many reviews, articles and countless news stories, I have a passion for and spent the last several years at GamingNexus focusing on audio & video and accessories as they relate to gaming. Having over 20 years of Home Theater consulting and sales under my belt, it is quite enjoyable to spend some of my time viewing gaming through the A/V perspective. While I haven't yet made it to one of the major gaming conventions (PAX or E3), I have represented GamingNexus at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in nine of the last ten years.
Personally, I have been a staff member at GamingNexus since 2006 and am in my third tour of duty after taking off the last year and a half.
