Harry Potter — The Order of the Phoenix (Wii)

Have you ever dreamed of being a witch or wizard? Well now you can be one with Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix for the Wii. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is based off of the fifth book in the Harry Potter series. Harry is suffering through another boring summer when he and his cousin Dudley get attacked by Dementors. Harry is then involved in another adventure in which he will need his friends help to fight the evil Voldemort. You get to play as three different characters through out the game. You even get to play as Dumbledore! I give this game a 7 out of 10.

You get to use the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to cast spells to solve puzzles and fight enemies. When you need help with a spell your friends will help you by casting the same spell, making yours stronger. It is fun to cast spells but most of them are not that responsive when you do the motion. You do get to run around Hogwarts when not on a mission. Hogwarts is very large and very well detailed. The characters are also well detailed, They look like they do in the movie and even sound the same. You learn new spells by teaching members of Dumbledore's Army the spell. Like the movie the game doesn't always stick to the book but in the game’s case it isn't that bad. The extra missions are fun and give you a better feeling of being in the game.

Getting to cast spells was a great idea but the makers of the game could have made it better so I have to give this game a 6 on gameplay. There isn't anything special about the sound except that the characters voices are the same as they are in the movie, On sound it gets a 7. The games puzzles and challenges are actually kind of hard so in terms of challenge it gets a 6.The best thing about this game is the graphics - the environment is very well detailed and beautiful, This game easily get a 9 in graphics. This game is at least worth a rent if you like the Harry Potter series but a serious gamer may want to stay away from it.

Dragon Ball Z — Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Wii)

The hit anime series Dragon Ball Z has made yet another game. It is the first Dragon Ball Z game for the Wii. Like other wii games it uses the Wii's motion sensing abilities but you can also use the Wii Classic Controller or a Gamecube controller if you like the controls of the older games. One of the perks of the game is that it includes over 100 characters so it will keep you playing, trying to unlock each and every one. It uses the same unique camera as the first Budokai Tenkaichi game - you view over your selected character’s shoulder, giving you a more realistic fighting experience. I give this game a 7.5 out of 10.

The motion controls are cool in this game because you can act out your players special moves. There are flaws to the motion controls, such as the flying controls being tricky and they don't always react well. Another flaw in the controls is that it doesn't explain how use the Classic Controller or Gamecube controls. The game does do a great job of simulating the Dragon Ball Z fighting experience. The story stretches through the entire Dragon Ball Z story as well as the many movies, although the story is not very well told and doesn't explain many of the important moments in the story. You can even customize your favourite characters with special items and stat boosters. Another cool thing about the game is that the environments are very well detailed and almost completely destructible.

The fighting in this game is very good but the Wii controls have their problems so I give this game an 8/10 for gameplay. On sound it gets a 6/10 because there isn't lots of unique music, but the characters sound the same as in the anime. It is challenging sometimes but it is usually pretty easy so it gets a 7/10 on challenge. The graphics are ok but the best thing is the exciting special attacks, so it gets a 7/10 on graphics. Dragon Ball Z:Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is a great game for fans of the series and is worth a play if you’re looking for a good fighting game.

Legend of Zelda — Twilight Princess (Nintendo GameCube/WII)

Nintendo does it again with the newest addition to the Legend of Zelda series, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. This game is out for both the Wii and the Nintendo Gamecube. It is the first Zelda game since The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time in which the hero, Link, is not a child. The game is very beautiful with highly detailed dungeons and characters. Speaking of characters, the game includes the main characters which all veterans will recognize as well as new characters which makes it great also for new players of The Legend of Zelda series. Overall I give the game an 8 out of 10.

An exclusive to the Wii version is the Wii's unique motion controls. You can swing your Wii Remote like a sword or aim with the pointer function to never miss with your bow and arrow. The controls do get a little boring after a while and you can actually just flick the Wii Remote with your wrist to swing your sword. The game is much like the other games in the series. You explore dungeons and travel over enemy infested plains to eventually save the princess. The story is actually pretty good and it draws you in easily. One thing that surprised me was that there is no special instrument to help you on your quest. Instead, they changed the fairy or boat to a more active shadow being helper. Her name is Midna and she is much better than the previous helpers. The game gives a new twist on the series and in my opinion makes it better.

For sound I give this game an 8/10 because the classic Zelda music is great but there isn't a lot of new music that is really good. On graphics, I give it a 9/10 because the style of art is very nice and adds a new feel to the game. The game is not as difficult as the other games which is both good and bad, so I give it a 7/10 on challenge. Finally for gameplay I give it an 8/10 because even though it is great fun using the Wii motion controls, it does get a little boring. I would recommend that you at least rent this game if you have Wii or Nintendo Gamecube.

Mario and Luigi — Partners in Time (Nintendo DS)

Mario and Luigi are back in another hilarious adventure on the Nintendo DS. Mario and Luigi Partners in Time is the sequel to the Gameboy Advance game, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga. When Professor E. Gadd makes a time machine, Princess Peach is the first to ride it, but something goes wrong and the time machine comes back badly damaged and the worst part is that the Princess is missing! Mario and Luigi then travel back in time to rescue the Princess. While they are looking, they come across the baby versions of themselves! It is your job to help Mario, Luigi and their baby selves travel through time and save the Princess. I give this game a 9 out of 10.

The game makes good use of the Nintendo DS's two screens. You will view a map most of the time but sometimes you will have to use the top screen to solve puzzles. There is almost no use of the touch-screen. During battle you will use special "Bros. Items" to unleash powerful attacks on the enemies and you can make them more powerful by using the babies too. The game is very funny like Superstar Saga. There are many familiar faces in the game such as Bowser and the Princess’s loyal baby sitter Toadsworth. The game is also pretty long so you will get hours of fun.

The graphics are 2D but are very good and the environments are great so this game gets a 9/10 on graphics. You will hear the classic Mario tunes as well as hear the characters say the signature phrases - on sound this game gets a 9/10. The game's difficulty is pretty good but sometimes it gets too hard so it will have to get a 8/10 on challenge. The Bros. Items and interactive battles make this game even more fun and I give this game a 9/10 on gameplay. If you are a fan of the series this is a must. If you are a fan of RPG's than this is definitely worth a play.

Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (Nintendo DS)

The best selling series makes it's debut on the Nintendo DS. Like the other pokemon games it comes in two versions, diamond and pearl. The game introduces a new region full of original pokemon. It also has many extra modes such as the Nintendo WFC (Wi-Fi Conection), which allows you to battle friends from around the world. it also uses the DS' dual screens to maximize your fun. I give this game a 9 out of 10.

The online battles are done quite well but one of the downsides is that you need to register other people's friend codes, which isn't good if you would like to play online but none of your friends are online. The objective of your quest is to travel through the region of Sinnoh and battle the eight gym leaders while saving the world from the evil Team Galactic. If you beat the task of defeating the gym leaders you have one more challenge, the great Elite 4. They are the most powerful trainers in the region and will put your skills to the test. The game is easy to get into if you are new to the series and will improve your thoughts on the game if you have already played a pokemon game. There are few differences between the two versions so pick whatever one you want.

The gameplay is very good but the battles can get boring so it gets an 8/10 for gameplay. It has the classic Pokemon music plus lots of other delightful tunes - this game gets a 9/10 for sound. The game is 2D with 3D mixed in, but they do it very well so it gets a 9/10 for graphics. It can get a little challenging but it ramps up the difficulty very well, so for being just right this game gets a 9/10 for challenge. Pokemon Diamond/Pearl is another great Pokemon game and it just gets better on the Nintendo DS.

Exit (PSP)

It's your job to help to guide people out of dangerous situations in Exit! Take control of Mr. Esc a master of escaping. Pick up various items to overcome obstacles, such as raging fires. You can also use the people you are rescuing to help you - different people have different abilities. You have to use all your wits to escape, one wrong move and it could all be over. Overall I give Exit a 7.5 out of 10.

There are tons of escape plans that you could think of but usually in Exit there is only one correct plan. One thing I like is how you have to use the right items at the right time, Mr.Esc can only carry one item at a time but you can get the people you’re saving to hold onto an item too. One of the major things you need to do in order to pass each mission is to use the people you are saving, they too can help. There are 3 types of people, children, young adults and adults. Children need help climbing and jumping down from heights but can crawl under small spaces and are not heavy. Young adults don't need help with heights and are the same weight as Mr.Esc, so their skills are all balanced. Last, there are adults who are heavy and need help getting up over heights - they are very strong though. I almost forgot about the most important people, patients! Patients are injured and can't walk on their own, you can carry them or put them on a stretcher and you have to be extra careful with them!

The game isn't that great on controls seeing as there is nothing special to them, because of that Exit gets a 7/10 on game play. Another thing that isn't that great is the sound. Even with some good sound effects this game only gets a 7/10 on sound. The game is quite hard, but in my opinion it is a good thing because it makes you think out your actions, that’s why I give this game a 9/10 on challenge. Finally, there is the graphics: they are nice but compared to other games they could be better, so Exit gets a 7/10 on graphics. If you are a fan of puzzle games, I recommend Exit to you.