Think of the Children for January 17th
After a few weeks off due to the Holidays and a lack of rated games (not to mention a trip to CES in Las Vegas), we are back with a whole messload of games that the ESRB posted in the first 10 days of 2008. This was an interesting couple of weeks, as the PC dominated and the Next-Gen systems FINALLY came out of hibernation with quite a few titles. Nintendo also pumped out some good games for both the Wii and DS, but still has a steady supply of drivel. We finally saw a few titles rated that have been flying under the radar pop to the surface. All in all, a good couple of weeks if you are a gamer looking toward the immediate future.
This week(s) were dominated by PC games, with over 43 rated out of 102. It seems that the digital download services and PC packing of the Tom Clancy series by Encore USA is bolstering the games getting rated or re-rated. There were the usual casual games and card games as well, so I don’t foresee the PC ratings to go down anytime soon.
Nintendo still seems to have lost a bit of steam, as the Wii and DS were beaten out by the PC for top honors, and once again have Sony nipping at their heels. It was refreshing to see some quality titles for the Wii getting rated and a handful from the DS. However, the same junk I have been bitching about for awhile now made a huge comeback on the DS. At some point I imagine people will wise up and quit buying the crap, which would force Nintendo to focus on getting better quality games on the popular handheld. It will be interesting to see if Nintendo will continue to pump out titles for DS and Wii at such a high rate or if the other systems will close the gap and keep up, albeit with higher quality titles.
The next-gen system(s) spit out a whole bunch of new games with the Xbox 360 (14) and the Playstation 3 (9) having a total of 23 rated games. It wasn’t just Arcade and casual titles though, as Dark Sector, the latest MLB 2K8, FIFA Street 3, Dynasty Warriors 6, LOST, Dark Sector and NFL Tour were all rated for both platforms. There were quite a few retail titles that were rated for one or the other, such as MLB 08 the Show for the Playstation 3. The Xbox 360 though, had Supreme Commander, Warhammer: Battle March, Jumper Griffin’s Story and Dark Messiah: Might and Magic Elements. This is quite a decent haul for those of us that have been feeling lonely with the lack of releases during the Holidays.
The ESRB ratings held several surprises and quite a few games I haven’t heard much buzz on lately for the Xbox 360. Games rated include TiQal, Shred Nebula, Shotest Shogi and Jumper Griffin’s Story, all of which are Xbox Live Arcade titles except Jumper Griffin, which is based off the upcoming Jumper movie. The PS3 looks to be getting Rayman and Street Fighter Alpha to the Playstation Network before long. Not a bad way to start off 2008, so let’s just hope that there is a steady stream of new titles getting rated all year long.
| Title | Publisher | Rating | Platforms |
| CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- | Square Enix, Inc | T | PSP |
| Dinosaur King | SEGA of America | E | DS |
| JumpStart Spanish | Scholastic Inc. | E | PC |
| MLB 08 The Show | SCEA | E | PS2, PSP |
| MLB 08 The Show | SCEA | E | PS3 |
| SingStar 90's | SCEA | T | PS2 |
| The World Ends with You | Square Enix, Inc | T | DS |
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | T | PC |
| LOST | Ubisoft Entertainment | T | PC, 360, PS3 |
| Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis | NIS America, Inc. | E10+ | PS2 |
| BRAIN CHALLENGE™ | Gameloft | E | PC, 360 |
| DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 | KOEI Corporation | T | 360, PS3 |
| Legends of Norrath: Forsworn | Sony Online Entertainment | E10+ | PC |
| Mahjong Escape - Ancient China | PopCap Games, Inc. | E | PC, Web |
| Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | E | Wii |
| RPG MAKER VX | EnterBrain, Inc. | E | PC |
| ArmA: Queens Gambit | Atari, Inc. | M | PC |
| Dark Messiah: Might and Magic Elements | Ubisoft Entertainment | M | 360 |
| Imagine Figure Skater | Ubisoft | E | DS |
| Jumper Griffin's Story | Brash Entertainment | T | PS2, Wii |
| Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword | Tecmo, Inc. | T | DS |
| Pirates of the Burning Sea™ | Sony Online Entertainment | T | PC |
| The King of Fighters '94 | SNK Playmore USA | T | Wii |
| Warhammer: Battle March | NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. | M | 360 |
| Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Battle March | NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. | M | PC |
| Card & Casino Games Platinum | Selectsoft Publishing / MPS | T | PC |
| Dark Sector | D3Publisher of America | M | 360, PS3 |
| Elf Bowling 7 1/7: The Last Insult | United Developers | E | PC |
| The Sims 2 FreeTime | Electronic Arts | T | PC |
| Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys | Ignition Entertainment | E10+ | DS |
| Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | M | PC |
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | M | PC |
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advance War Fighter | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | T | PC |
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Island Thunder | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | M | PC |
| Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | T | PC |
| TiQal | Slapdash Games, LLC | E | PC, 360 |
| Jumper Griffin's Story | Brash Entertainment | T | 360 |
| Major League Baseball 2K8 | 2K Los Angeles | E | 360, PS3 |
| Math Missions: The Race to Spectacle City Arcade K-2 | Scholastic | E | Mac, PC |
| MLB Fantasy All-Stars | Take-Two Interactive | E | DS |
| N+ | Atari, Inc. | E | DS, PSP |
| Carrie the Caregiver 2: Preschool | Activision Value Publishing | E | Mac, PC |
| Dr. Daisy | ValuSoft | E | Mac, PC |
| Shred Nebula | CrunchTime Games Inc. | E | 360 |
| SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 | SNK Playmore USA | T | PS2, PSP, Wii |
| Twisted Metal Head On | SCEA | T | PS2 |
| Catz: Your Computer Petz | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | E | PC |
| Catz: Your Virtual Petz | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | E | PC |
| Chessmaster: The Art of Learning | Ubisoft Entertainment | E | PSP |
| Buzz Jr! Dino Den | SCEA | E | PS2 |
| Buzz!™: The Hollywood Quiz | SCEA | T | PS2 |
| Aquarium | Destineer | E | DS |
| Baroque | Atlus USA, Inc. | T | PS2, Wii |
| Afterschool Mystery Club: 13 Creepy Chambers | UFO Interactive Games | E | DS |
| Afterschool Mystery Club: 13 Rooms of Doom | UFO Interactive Games | E | DS |
| Alchemy | PopCap Games, Inc. | E | Mac, PC, Web, PDA |
| Columns III | SEGA of America | E | Wii |
| Dream Pinball 3D | Southpeak Games | E10+ | PC, Wii |
| Dream Pinball 3D | Southpeak Games | E10+ | DS |
| Dynomite | PopCap Games, Inc. | E | PC, Web, PDA |
| Drop Point: Alaska | Destineer | E | Mac |
| Dogz | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | E | PC |
| Dora The Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids | 2K Play/Take-Two Interactive | E | PS2 |
| Fantasy Aquarium | Destineer | E | DS |
| Farm Vet | Legacy Interactive | E | PC |
| FIFA Street 3 | Electronic Arts | E | 360, PS3 |
| Garden Defense | iWin Division 90 | E | PC |
| Shotest Shogi | AI Factory Limited | E | 360 |
| Target: Terror | Konami Digital Entertainment | M | Wii |
| Supreme Commander | Aspyr Media, Inc. | E10+ | 360 |
| Tic-a-Tac Royale | ValuSoft | E | PC |
| TipTop | PopCap Games, Inc. | E | PC, Web, PDA |
| Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games | Sega of America | E | DS |
| Major League Baseball 2K8 | 2K Los Angeles | E | PS2, PSP, Wii |
| Mahjong Escape: Ancient Japan | PopCap Games, Inc. | E | PC, Web |
| Little Shop-Big City | RealNetworks | E | Mac, PC |
| Kidz Sports Ice Hockey | Destineer | E | Wii |
| Heavenly Guardian | UFO Interactive Games | E | PS2 |
| High School Musical - TV Game | JAKKS Pacific Inc. | E | Plug-and-Play |
| Mysteryville 2 | Brighter Minds Media | E10+ | PC |
| Newspaper Puzzle Challenge: Sudoku Edition | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | E | PC |
| OPERATION WOLF | TAITO Corporation | E10+ | Wii |
| Petz Bunnyz | Ubisoft | E | DS |
| Puzzle Guzzle | AGETEC | E | PSP |
| Quick Yoga Training | Ubisoft Entertainment Inc. | E | DS |
| Rocket Mania | PopCap Games, Inc. | E | PC, Web, PDA |
| World War II Aces | Destineer | T | Wii |
| Brain Voyage | Eidos | E | DS |
| Monster Lair | Hudson Entertainment Inc | E | Wii |
| NFL Tour | Electronic Arts | E | 360, PS3 |
| Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer | SEGA of America | E | DS |
| Chessmaster 10th Edition | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | E | PC |
| Aliens Vs. Predator-Requiem | Vivendi Games | T | PSP |
| Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell | Encore, Inc., A Navarre Corporation Company | T | PC |
| The Sims 2 H & M Fashion Stuff | Electronic Arts | T | PC |
| The Sims Castaway Stories | Electronic Arts | T | Mac, PC |
| Street Fighter Alpha | SCEA | T | PSP, PS3 |
| Petz Wild Animals: Tigerz | Ubisoft | E | DS |
| Rayman | SCEA | E | PSP, PS3 |
| Worms: A Space Oddity | THQ | E10+ | Wii |
| Sins of a Solar Empire | Stardock Corporation | T | PC |
| Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice | SCEA | T | PSP |
Got a comment on the rated games, put it in the section below. Until next week, make sure you know what your kids are playing……
* 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.
