By: Jeb Haught
DEVELOPER: Visceral Games
PUBLISHER: EA Games
SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360)
PRICE: $59.99
ESRB RATING: Mature
REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2010 is the year of the action game. More specifically, action games that feature over-the-top “God of War”-style combat against ghastly creatures. As the third one released in only two months, “Dante’s Inferno” had the most potential, but alas, the action is forgettable and the story pales in comparison to the source material.
Very loosely based on “The Divine Comedy” by Alighieri, “Dante’s Inferno” isn’t funny at all. In fact, the depiction of hell in this title is frightening enough to give anyone nightmares if they believe in that sort of thing. After his beloved Beatrice is killed and her soul is damned, Dante must traverse the Nine Circles of hell in order to be reunited with his true love. Along the way, he brutally slays all who stand in his path using Death’s Scythe and various holy powers.
Fighting enemies is fun for a while, but Dante’s move repertoire just doesn’t look as cool as that of Kratos, the God of War. Sure it’s fun to hack and slash at enemies, but most players will find that using the two basic attack buttons can be more effective than employing Dante’s various abilities, which is rather disappointing. Players can also blast enemies with Beatrice’s Cross, but the attack is so weak that it’s only worth using against flying enemies.
One interesting feature is the ability to pass judgment on weak enemies. Dante can literally pick them up with the blade of his scythe and then decide whether to punish or absolve them. Punishing rewards the player with Unholy experience points, while Absolution offers Holy experience points, both of which can be used to purchase or upgrade Holy and Unholy powers.
“Dante’s Inferno” isn’t a bad game, but the combat is weak and the story line strays so much from its allegorical source that it features more prose than pros.
‘SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3’
DEVELOPER: Slant Six Games
PUBLISHER: Sony
SYSTEM: Sony PSP
PRICE: $39.99
ESRB RATING: Teen
REVIEW RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)
Navy SEALs train for a wide variety of enemy encounters, but one foe they never expect is poor game play. While the SOCOM series used to be the epitome of military shooters on the PS2, its foray onto the PS3 was universally hailed as second-rate. During the same time, the PSP series strayed from a military shooter to a military action/strategy game with mixed results. Now the developers have thankfully returned to the original formula for “SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3.”
Players assume the role of a U.S. Navy SEALs commander who must locate a dangerous ex-KGB agent named Alexander Gozorov. This Russian has information about an impending WMD attack against Western interests in Eurasia, and only the SEALs can track him down. Unfortunately, this believable scenario degrades into little more than a showcase of how awesome the SEALs are, which might be great for 10-year-olds but is laughable to adults.
New to the series is the ability to command three squad members instead of only one. Now players can set up crossfire ambushes and rely on their teammates more often, while enemies increase in number to compensate. Too bad players can’t issue orders to individual teammates. Instead, the four-man squad is broken up into two groups that can be ordered around separately, but it’s nice to have three teammates as opposed to one.
An aspect of the series that I’ve always enjoyed is the freedom to approach enemy installations using stealth. While it isn’t necessary, sneaking into a situation and then rushing out with guns blazing certainly makes combat more interesting! I also like the bonus objectives that push players to try levels over and over as well as the ability to play the game cooperatively with friends. Speaking of multiplayer, this title features some of the best co-op and 16-player adversarial online modes available on the PSP.
“SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3” looks great and plays even better, which is something the ailing PSP library desperately needs.
REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM
5 stars = Must Have
4 stars = Very Good
3 stars = Above Average
2 stars = Bargain Bin
1 star = Don’t Bother
RATINGS KEY
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
E: (Everyone)
E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)
T: Teen (13 and older)
M: Mature (17 and older)
To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM.
By: Jeb Haught
DEVELOPER: SEGA
PUBLISHER: SEGA
SYSTEM: Nintendo Wii
PRICE: $49.99
ESRB RATING: Everyone
REVIEW RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)
Mario, the unluckiest plumber to ever swing a wrench, is the “jack of all games.” He’s dipped his gloved hand in nearly every genre possible, so it comes as no surprise to see that he qualified for nearly every event in the Vancouver Winter Olympics. What is unusual, however, is to see Mario compete against Sonic the Hedgehog, the “bad boy of retro gaming,” in “Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.”
As the frosty sequel to “Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games,” this title follows the bitter rivalry between the 16-bit heroes as they compete in various events, ranging from snowboard halfpipe to speedskating to, yawn, curling. In addition, several other famous SEGA brand characters join the competition, including: Yoshi, Bowser, Wario, Shadow, Knuckles and Blaze. Believe me, watching Bowser deftly figure skating will send anyone into fits of laughter!
Unlike its predecessor, this title has all nine standard Winter Olympic events unlocked from the beginning. Performing well in each event will eventually unlock a fantasy version that is played in a cool surreal setting, which is familiar to fans of the dynamic duo’s library. One to four players can compete in the main mode, called the Winter Games Festival, and there are also common balloon popping, panel flipping “party games” available in Party Games mode. But honestly, the entire game is nothing more than a thinly disguised party game compilation.
That’s where this title bails hard, because it doesn’t have enough fun content to warrant extended solo-play. Like all party-game compilations, it is only worth playing in a group setting. It also doesn’t help that players will be staring at excessive loading screens and that the controls aren’t as responsive as they should be. This is due to the lack of Wii MotionPlus support.
“Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games” is better than most party-game compilations, but playing it alone gets old fast.
‘Daniel X: The Ultimate Power’
DEVELOPER: THQ
PUBLISHER: THQ
SYSTEM: Nintendo DS/DSi
PRICE: $19.99
ESRB RATING: Everyone
REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
The advent of our current high-tech “instant-communication generation” has come with a terrible price for our youth. To them, reading is only good for texting and web posts, which are both rife with horrendous grammar. Fortunately, a talented author named James Patterson has encouraged youngsters to read with a best-selling young adult book that enthralls every lad who picks it up. Now the adventure is available on the Nintendo DS in the form of “Daniel X: The Ultimate Power.”
Who is Daniel X? Just a typical young boy who happens to have alien parents that bestowed him with the incredible power of creation. With little more than a simple thought, Daniel is able to materialize objects out of thin air. Sure it sounds amazing, but with this awesome power also comes the responsibility to protect Earth from frightening aliens bent on destroying the planet!
Daniel starts off with only a few powers and has the ability to gain several new ones as the game progresses. I particularly enjoy transforming into a soccer ball or an eagle to access difficult areas, and using telekinetic powers and super strength is pretty fun, too. Why, then, are the “creation powers” limited to navigating the terrain? Players must use the DS stylus to draw items into existence, and I would really like more freedom to experiment with this fun feature.
Players also earn experience points throughout the adventure that are used to purchase new powers or upgrade existing ones. What I really like, however, is the fact that spending these points isn’t permanent. This means that players can change powers and upgrades around if they don’t like what they purchased. Too bad the game is over before these powers can be fully explored.
Featuring great 3-D combat and cool upgrades, “Daniel X: The Ultimate Power” isn’t your average licensed title.
REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM
5 stars = Must Have
4 stars = Very Good
3 stars = Above Average
2 stars = Bargain Bin
1 star = Don’t Bother
RATINGS KEY
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
E: (Everyone)
E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)
T: Teen (13 and older)
M: Mature (17 and older)
COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM.
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY with Dr. James Dobson
Question: Last time you talked about why some kids with every advantage and opportunity seem to turn out bad, while others raised in terrible homes become pillars in the community. You cited the life of David Hernandez as an example of the latter. What happened to him?
DR. DOBSON: Given this beginning, how can we explain the man that David Hernandez became? He graduated near the top of his class in high school and was granted a scholarship to college. Again, he earned high marks and four years later entered Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Once more, he scored in the top 10 percent of his class and continued in a residency in obstetrics and gynecology. Eventually, he served as a professor of OB-GYN at both Loma Linda University and the University of Southern California medical schools. Then, at the peak of his career, his life began to unravel. I’ll never forget the day Dr. Hernandez called me on the telephone. He had just been released from the hospital following a battery of laboratory tests. The diagnosis? Sclerosing cholangitis, a liver disorder that was invariably fatal at that time. We lost this fine husband, father and friend six years later at the age of forty-three. I loved him like a brother, and I still miss him today.
Again, I ask, how could such discipline and genius come from these infertile circumstances? Who would have thought that this deprived Mexican boy sitting out there in the dirt would someday become one of the most loved and respected surgeons of his era? Where did the motivation originate? From what bubbling spring did his ambition and thirst for knowledge flow? He had no books, took no educational trips, knew no scholars. Yet he reached for the sky. Why did it happen to David Hernandez and not the youngster with every advantage and opportunity?
Why have so many children of prominent and loving parents grown up in ideal circumstances only to reject it all for the streets of Atlanta, San Francisco or New York? Good answers are simply not available. It apparently comes down to this: God chooses to use individuals in unique ways. Beyond that mysterious relationship, we must simply conclude that some kids seem born to make it and others are determined to fail. Someone reminded me recently that the same boiling water that softens the carrot also hardens the egg. Likewise, some individuals react positively to certain circumstances and others negatively. We don’t know why. Two things are clear to me from this understanding. First, parents have been far too quick to take the credit or blame for the way their children turn out. Those with bright young superstars stick out their chests and say, “Look what we accomplished.” Those with twisted and irresponsible kids wonder, “Where did we go wrong?” Well, neither is entirely accurate. No one would deny that parents play an important role in the development and training of their children. But they are only part of the formula from which a young adult is assembled.
Second, behavioral scientists have been far too simplistic in their explanation of human behavior. We are more than the aggregate of our experiences. We are more than the quality of our nutrition. We are more than our genetic heritage. We are more than our biochemistry. And certainly, we are more than our parents’ influence. God has created us as unique individuals, capable of independent and rational thought that is not attributable to any source. That is what makes the task of parenting so challenging and rewarding. Just when you think you have your kids figured out, you had better brace yourself! Something new is coming your way.
**
Dr. Dobson is founder and Chairman Emeritus of the nonprofit organization Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80995 (www.focusonthefamily.org). Questions and answers are excerpted from “Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide” and “Bringing Up Boys,” both published by Tyndale House.
COPYRIGHT 2010
JAMES DOBSON INC.
QUESTION: Tell me why some kids with every advantage and opportunity seem to turn out bad, while others raised in terrible homes become pillars in the community. I know one young man who grew up in squalid circumstances, yet he is such a fine person today. How did his parents manage to raise such a responsible son when they didn’t even seem to care?
DR. DOBSON: Neither heredity nor environment will account for all human behavior. There is something else there — something from within — that also operates to make us who we are. Some behavior is caused, and some plainly isn’t. Several years ago, for example, I had dinner with two parents who had unofficially “adopted” a thirteen-year-old boy. This youngster followed their son home one afternoon and asked if he could spend the night. As it turned out, he stayed with them for almost a week without so much as a phone call coming from his mother. It was later learned that she works sixteen hours a day and has no interest in her son. Her alcoholic husband divorced her several years ago and left town without a trace. The boy had been abused, unloved and ignored through much of his life.
Given this background, what kind of kid do you think he is today — a druggie? A foul-mouthed delinquent? A lazy, insolent bum? No. He is polite to adults; he is a hard worker; he makes good grades in school and enjoys helping around the house. This boy is like a lost puppy who desperately wants a good home. He begged the family to adopt him officially so he could have a real father and a loving mother. His own mom couldn’t care less. How could this teenager be so well-disciplined and polished despite his lack of training? I don’t know. It is simply within him. He reminds me of my wonderful friend David Hernandez. David and his parents came to America illegally from Mexico more than fifty years ago and nearly starved to death before they found work. They eventually survived by helping to harvest the potato crop throughout the state of California. During this era, David lived under trees or in the open fields. His father made a stove out of an oil drum half-filled with dirt. The open campfire was the centerpiece of their home. David never had a roof over his head until his parents finally moved into an abandoned chicken coop. His mother covered the boarded walls with cheap wallpaper, and David thought they were living in luxury. Then one day, the city of San Jose condemned the area, and David’s “house” was torn down. He couldn’t understand why the community would destroy so fine a place. We’ll talk more about David’s story next time.
QUESTION: As a single mother, I’d like to leave my children with friends or relatives for a few days and get some time for myself, but I’m worried about how this might affect them. Will they feel deserted again?
DR. DOBSON: Not only is a brief time away from your children not likely to be hurtful — it will probably be healthy for them. One of the special risks faced by single parents is the possibility of a dependency relationship developing that will trap their children at an immature stage. This danger is increased when wounded people cling to each other exclusively for support in stressful times.
Spending a reasonable amount of time apart can teach independence and give everyone a little relief from the routine. Therefore, if you have a clean, safe place to leave your children for a week or two, by all means, do it. You’ll be more refreshed and better able to handle your usual “homework” when you return.
**
Dr. Dobson is founder and Chairman Emeritus of the nonprofit organization Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80995 (www.focusonthefamily.org). Questions and answers are excerpted from “Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide” and “Bringing Up Boys,” both published by Tyndale House.
QUESTION: I have very little time to spend with my children these days, but I make sure the hours we do get to spend together are meaningful. Do you agree that the quality of time you are with your kids is more important than the quantity?
DR. DOBSON: I’m afraid the logic of that concept is flawed to me. The question is: Why do we have to choose between the virtues of quantity versus quality? We won’t accept that forced choice in any other area of our lives. So why is it only relevant to our children? Let me illustrate my point. Let’s suppose you’ve looked forward all day to eating at one of the finest restaurants in town. The waiter brings you a menu, and you order the most expensive steak in the house. But when the meal arrives, you see a tiny piece of meat about oneinch square in the center of the plate. When you complain about the size of the steak, the waiter says, “Sir, I recognize that the portion is small, but that’s the finest corn-fed beef money can buy. You’ll never find a better bite of meat than we’ve served you tonight. As to the portion, I hope you understand that it’s not the quantity that matters, it’s the quality that counts.” You would object, and for good reason. Why? Because both quality and quantity are important in many areas of our lives, including how we relate to children. They need our time and the best we have to give them. My concern is that the quantity-versus-quality argument might be a poorly disguised rationalization for giving our children — neither. **
QUESTION: My wife and I have two very strong-willed kids who are hard to handle. They seem to need to test us, and they’re the happiest and most contented when we are the toughest on them. Why do they insist on making us growl at them and even punish them more than we’d like to?
DR. DOBSON: It is curious, isn’t it, that some children seem to enjoy fighting with their parents. It’s a function of the pugnacious temperament with which they are born. Many kids just like to run things and seem to enjoy picking fights. There is another factor that is related to a child’s sense of security. Let me illustrate it this way. Imagine you’re driving a car over the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, which is suspended hundreds of feet above the canyon floor. As a first-time traveler, you’re pretty tense as you drive across. It is a scary experience. I knew one little fellow who was so awed by the view over the side of the bridge that he said, “Wow, Daddy! If you fell off of here, it’d kill you constantly!” Now suppose there were no guardrails on the side of the bridge. Where would you steer the car? Right down the middle of the road. Even though you don’t plan to hit those protective railings along the side, you just feel more secure knowing that they’re there. It’s the same way with children. There is security in defined limits. They need to know precisely what the rules are and who’s available to enforce them. Whenever a strong-willed child senses that the boundaries may have moved, or that his or her parents may have lost their nerve, he or she will often precipitate a fight just to test the limits again. They may not admit that they want you to be the boss, but they breathe easier when you prove that you are. **
QUESTION:What do you think of the phrase “Children should be seen and not heard”?
DR. DOBSON: That statement reveals a profound ignorance of children and their needs. I can’t imagine how any loving adult could raise a vulnerable little boy or girl by that philosophy. Children are like clocks, they must be allowed to run! **
Dr. Dobson is founder and Chairman Emeritus of the nonprofit organization Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80995 (www.focusonthefamily.org). Questions and answers are excerpted from “Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide” and “Bringing Up Boys,” both published by Tyndale House. COPYRIGHT 2010 JAMES DOBSON INC.
QUESTION: Talk about a father’s impact on his daughter and what he should hope to accomplish through that relationship.
DR. DOBSON: Fathers have an incalculable impact on their daughters. Most psychologists believe, and I am one of them, that all future romantic relationships are influenced positively or negatively by the way a girl interacts with her dad in the childhood years. If that is true, then fathers should give careful thought to this responsibility and seek to be what their daughters need of them.
There are, I believe, at least seven components to that assignment. First, a dad’s leadership at home should be a model of strength and authority, but always tempered by love and compassion. Harsh discipline tends to close down a sensitive feminine spirit, but permissiveness and capriciousness can create lifelong disdain for men. Second, a dad must remember that he is being watched closely by that little girl around his knees. The way he treats her mother will teach her volumes about how men and women should relate to one another. Blatant disrespect toward his wife will not be missed by the child. Third, I think it is good to begin “dating” a daughter when she is six years of age, or even earlier. Dad should let the child help plan their evenings and then see that they occur when and where promised. These times together are not intended simply for fun, although that is important. The father can also use them to show his daughter how a man treats a woman he respects. He can open doors for her, help her with her chair, and listen attentively when she speaks. Later, when she is a teenager, she will know what to expect — or insist on — from the boys she dates. Fourth, a dad should always look for ways to build the self-confidence of his little girl. If she believes he thinks she is pretty and “special,” she will be inclined to see herself that way. He holds the key to her self-acceptance. Fifth, a father should keep the lines of communication open throughout childhood so that he is seen as someone to whom his daughter can turn when she needs advice. She will need that counsel before she is grown. Sixth, God designed men to be the “providers and protectors” of their families. Their daughters should perceive them that way. Dad is often his little girl’s “hero,” and it is wonderful when that kind of relationship develops. Seventh, a father must be the spiritual leader of his family, making clear his devotion to Jesus Christ and to the principles in Scripture. He should give the highest priority to bringing up his daughters, and his sons, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It’s not an easy responsibility raising girls, is it? But those who do the job properly can rest in the knowledge that they have given their daughters the best chance for a successful marriage, if they choose to wed.
QUESTION: Can boys and girls be taught to treat each other with respect? That seems like a tough assignment.
DR. DOBSON: They certainly can! Young people are naturally more sensitive and empathetic than adults. Their viciousness is a learned response, resulting from the highly competitive and hostile world in which they live – – a world we have allowed to develop. They are destructive to the weak and lowly because we adults haven’t bothered to teach them to feel for one another. One of the values children cherish most is justice. They are uneasy in a world of injustice and abuse. Therefore, when we teach children respect for others by insisting on civility in our classrooms, we’re laying a foundation for human kindness in the world of adulthood to come. It is a fundamental attitude that should be taught in every classroom and every home.
Dr. Dobson is founder and Chairman Emeritus of the nonprofit organization Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80995 (www.focusonthefamily.org). Questions and answers are excerpted from “Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide” and “Bringing Up Boys,” both published by Tyndale House.
COPYRIGHT 2010 JAMES DOBSON INC.
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