Just because you’re spending a lot of time outdoors this summer doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the latest video games. Today’s handheld systems are so powerful – and have such a library of cool software – that you can have a great gaming experience where ever you are.
This column, the second of four focusing on upcoming games, looks at handheld games; with console, PC, and downloadable games covered separately. Keep in mind that release dates and ratings can change before the product hits the retail shelves.
Check out our list and then tell us what handheld games you’re eager to play.
Tell us: What are the Top 5 handheld games you can't wait to play this summer?
-- Ken Smith";
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'Picross DS'
Nintendo’s “Picross DS” makes use of the cognitive skills you learned in math class as well as the coloring book chops you picked up in kindergarten.
This game, due out July 30, will have you filling in the squares of a grid in an effort to reveal a simple picture. To figure out which squares to fill, you'll need to look at the numbers that line each row and decipher the code buried deep inside them. Think of how the letters in a crossword have to work in two directions and you’ll get an idea of how “Picross” works.
Why would we want to play this game that sounds like a mixture of Sudoku, crossword puzzles and your high school SATs? Because we love a great brain twister, and the Nintendo DS, with its two screens and stylus, is a perfect platform for a game like this."; games_top5_070702[i++] = new Array("","'PARAPPA THE RAPPER'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070702/070702_parappa2_hmed_5p.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Sony", "273", "406", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_070702[i-1].body = "'PaRappa the Rapper'
Sony’s “PaRappa the Rapper,” the cute dog with the mad rapping skills, is back for his 10-year anniversary. While it’s more or less a reissue of the old PlayStation game, that’s OK with us because we loved the original. And now that it’s being released for the Sony PSP on July 17, we can take PaRappa with us where ever we may go.
You play this rhythm-based game by pressing the pad buttons in time with the symbols floating across the screen. The more in sync you are, the better PaRappa performs. Sound familiar? That’s because “PaRappa” helped lay the groundwork for all rhythm-based games, including “Dance Dance Revolution.”
And don’t worry about kids hearing any inappropriate lyrics in this E-rated game. PaRappa is a cute dog, not a rude dawg."; games_top5_070702[i++] = new Array("","'BRAIN AGE 2: MORE TRAINING IN MINUTES A DAY'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070702/070702_brain2_hmed_5a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Nintendo", "272", "408", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_070702[i-1].body = "'Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day'
The original “Brain Age” for the Nintendo DS was a huge hit. But how do you make a sequel for something that isn’t so much a game as it is a mental exercise program? You create new series of workouts, that’s how!
The E-rated “Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day,” available for the DS August 20, includes 17 new activities to beat your brain into shape, including “Clock Spin,” where players look at sideways, upside down or inverted clocks to figure out the correct time, and rock, paper, scissors played using the DS’s built-in microphone. The better you get at these games, the sharper your bean will be."; games_top5_070702[i++] = new Array("","'CRAZY TAXI: FARE WARS'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070702/070702_crazytaxi2_hmed_5p.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "SEGA", "240", "423", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_070702[i-1].body = "'Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars'
Though Sega’s “Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars” is coming out on July 31, it’s not exactly new. The E10\+ rated game for the Sony PSP is an amalgamation of the original “Crazy Taxi” and its sequel, “Crazy Taxi 2,” that came out for the Sega Dreamcast system back at the turn of this century. This time, we get some cabbie nostalgia mixed with new multiplayer features. And that’s precisely why we’re looking forward to it.
The object of this game is to try and pick up as many fares as possible, no matter what – or who – gets in the way. This latest iteration lets players go head-to-head against their friends, stealing their passengers and their cash."; games_top5_070702[i++] = new Array("","'LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: ANNIVERSARY'","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070702/070702_lara2_hmed_5p.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Eidos", "273", "339", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); games_top5_070702[i-1].body = "'Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary'
Eidos Interactive’s “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary” is a remake of the original “Tomb Raider” game, and the PSP version, which ships on July 24, is a port of a PlayStation 2 game. But the fact that we’ve seen it before shouldn’t bother anyone because, simply put, Lara Croft rocks!
“Anniversary” follows the same story as the first “Tomb Raider” from 1996, with Lara searching for treasures, climbing walls, and shooting her way out of trouble. But because “Anniversary” has an improved game engine, the graphics look better and run a lot smoother than the old game.
The result is a Teen-rated “Lara Croft” that feels familiar, yet new and exciting all at the same time. We’re looking forward to getting reacquainted with her.
Tell us: What Top 5 handheld games are you looking forward to this summer?
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