Think of the Children for April 23rd
What a refreshing week for me, as I don’t have to see the usual amount of filler titles that dominate the DS and PC platforms. There are a few sequels sprinkled in, but no movie tie-ins or lame Pet genre games to deal with. Just some solid retail, arcade and puzzle titles across all the platforms. This week saw the Nintendo platforms getting some of their highly sought after games, including Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen and FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift for the DS. The Wii looks to be getting the 2001 Game Boy Color title Toki Tori coming soon on WiiWare. In addition, the DS exclusive New International Track & Field, which is a sequel to the original Konami coin-op, is on the way.
The Xbox 360 and PS3 had several titles rated this week. Each had Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution and Codemaster’s Grid come across. In addition, the 360 had three titles that have been flying below the radar. The retail title Backyard Baseball ’09 and XBLA titles CrazyMouse and Golf: Tee it Up! CrazyMouse is being developed/published by Ultizen Games, which appears to be the first Chinese developed XBLA title that will hit the service. The other XBLA title, Golf: Tee it Up!, is coming from Activision and appears to be a case of the ESRB making the unofficial North American announcement. The game was first noticed on the German ratings board site last month, but so far little to no information has come out.
With only 19 titles to work with, I really don’t have a title of shame so to speak. So I chose a game that just seemed like it wasn’t needed at all, and that was Campus by Toppware Interactive. I think we all knew it would be coming eventually, but this sim about campus life seems like it may not have any legs unless it delves into the worlds of fraternities, party life and Big Time College sports. Based on the fact that the game was rated E for Everyone for content that includes mild language and use of tobacco, I’m guessing this will be the most unrealistic sim ever made. Most of us over the age of 25 probably want to forget our campus years, and those that are still in college don’t need a Sim to tell them what it is all about. Not to mention the fact that this game was originally released in October of 2007, so I have no idea why the ESRB is just now providing a rating.
| Title | Publisher | Rating | Platforms |
| SingStar: Pop Volume 2 | SCEA | T | PS2 |
| Toki Tori | Two Tribes B.V. | E | Wii |
| Backyard Baseball '09 | Atari, Inc. | E | PC, PS2, 360, Wii |
| Campus | Topware Interactive Inc. | E | PC |
| Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen | Square Enix, Inc | E10+ | DS |
| Grid | Codemasters | E | PC, 360, PS3 |
| Helicopter Strike Force | Masque Publishing | T | PC |
| John Deere: Drive Green | Destineer | E | PC |
| New International Track & Field | Konami | E10+ | DS |
| Ocean Commander | UFO Interactive Games | E | DS |
| P-38 Lightning | Just Flight | E | PC |
| FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift | Square Enix, Inc | E10+ | DS |
| City Life 2008 Edition | Paradox Interactive | T | PC |
| Commando: Steel Disaster | XS Games LLC | E10+ | DS |
| Bus Driver | Meridian 4 | E | PC |
| Super Jigsaw Desert Explorer | RealNetworks | E | Macintosh, PC |
| Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution | 2K Games | E10+ | 360, PS3 |
| Crazy Mouse | Ultizen Games | E | 360 |
| Golf: Tee It Up! | Activision | E | 360 |
Here is the final tally on who, what and where everything was rated for the last week. There were 19 rated titles on seven platforms. PC (9), DS (5) and 360 (5) had the most games rated. There were 16 of the 19 titles rated at E10+ or lower, three rated at T for Teen and zero rated at M for Mature.
Got a comment on the article or a rated games, put it in the section below or send me an e-mail. Until next week, make sure you know what your kids are playing……
*The weekly Title of Shame (and any game that is tossed in that paragraph) is done so based on several factors, including which games were rated that week, how does the game concept stack up, is it a re-hashed sequel, lame movie tie-in, rip off of another game, etc…
* 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.
