Really, this is the game that should have been released on Xbox Live in the first place — the first Xbox 360 Worms game was just too stripped down and simplified; I don’t think I had ever played a Worms game with less weaponry, backgrounds, and soundbanks. Worms 2: Armageddon adds back some of the classics, such as the Holy Hand Grenade and Super Sheep, while keeping the options simplified to ensure more fair on-line competition. If you want to relive the glory days of 90s gaming, or are looking for a fun game for the whole family that isn’t about twitchy reflexes, this game is easy to recommend at just 800 Microsoft points.

Back in the day, Team 17 was exciting and innovative, but how long can they go on just remaking and releasing Worms 2? Hopefully the rumours about an upcoming Xbox 360 version of Alien Breed are true…

I’m pleased to tell you that the game was not a disappointment! It’s been getting consistently good reviews, averaging around 80% scores, and I would definitely agree. It’s a solid Triple-A title, good both as a game, and as a sequel to the Ghostbusters franchise.

This isn’t your typical FPS run-and-gun style game… rather, the most unique thing about the Ghostbusters has to be their ghostbusting equipment and tactics, and that’s what I find the most fun about this game: you bust ghosts just like they do on-screen in the films. Your proton pack fires an eratic beam which is used to wear down and eventually capture the ghost. You then toss out a trap, and work to wrangle the ghost over top of it, and hold him there while he is sucked in. This all works wonderfully in 3D, and adds an almost sport-fishing adrenaline rush to most encounters.

The script is not quite “Ghostbusters 3″ as some had been billing it — Aykroyd and Ramis didn’t really write it, they just tweaked the script written by the game company. It’s a sequel, but tied very heavily to the events of the films; there is a lot of “fan service” here. The plot revolves around re-busting a lot of the ghosts from the films, and learning more about some, like the librarian. The ultimate villain is Ivo Shandor — the architect of the building in the first film (who, incidentally, was originally planned to be the final form of Gozer in that film… but now I’m getting too geeky for ya probably…) In the end, the script is amusing and interesting, and there’s nothing quite so cool as hearing the original actors play these roles again after all these years.

Games like these usually have multi-player modes that are just “tacked on” and unsatisfying, but not so with Ghostbusters… they have well thought-out modes and activities — you’re not shooting at each other of course, but working cooperatively (and sometimes competitively) to trap ghosts and accomplish goals. The only downside — and I would say this is the biggest strike against the game as a whole — is that it doesn’t feature split-screen play — neither in the main campaign, nor in multi-player mode.

I highly recommend this for any gamer that likes the Ghostbusters franchise; you won’t be disappointed! And even if you’re not willing to pay top dollar for a new game, keep it in mind when they reduce the price later on! It’s definitely a unique gaming experience.

I’ve always thought of board games as a fun thing to do together; but I have to admit, it drives me crazy to sit and play a board game that is based 100% on the roll of the dice, with little or no skill or personal choices involved at all. As a parent, I’ve come to realize that almost all of the “traditional” American boardgames for kids are extremely unsatisfying, and in an era of video games, even the kids get bored of them. But parents still buy games like Sorry and Trouble because of the nostalgic feeling that “I played that when I was a kid.”

The basic premise of Carcassonne is that each player draws a tile piece in turn, which is used to create a little medieval countryside. You draw the tile at random, and it can only fit in certain places — that’s the random “every time you play it’s different” part. But where you place it is your choice, and then you have an option of placing a “follower” on the piece which can score you points. You only have a certain number of followers to put in play (though sometimes you can get them back and use them again) — and therein lies the strategy. Do I place a follower on this piece, or wait in hope of a better move later? If I place him, how can I place him to score the most points?

The beauty of it is that it is simple enough for a child to learn, and yet interesting enough to keep adults entertained as well. Furthermore, if you like the basic game, there are over a dozen expansions available to it, to expand the game and change up the rules, etc.

We first played Carcassonne on the Xbox, actually, and got quite into it — this past weekend, I picked up an inexpensive “travel” version of Carcassonne which fits in a little cloth sack. The Xbox version had lead me to think that the scoring, etc., would be difficult — but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually very simple and straightforward. The average Carcassonne game (without expansions) lasts about half an hour, which is comfortably within the attention span of my kids.

I just can’t find any fault with this game; it’s fun, straightforward, and addictive even. Well, I guess there is one thing: every board game suffers if someone knocks the board, and this game is particularly easy to mess up in that fashion; perhaps best to play on carpet or something that helps prevent the tiles from moving very easily… anyway, give it a try!

Lightsaber Duels

So, when the game doesn’t allow you to actually swing a lightsaber, you have to ask yourself — what was the point?  If you love the cartoon, and are having kids over, you might have some fun renting it… but can’t recommend purchasing it when the core single-player “campaign” can be completed in about half an hour.

3 and a half stars (out of 5)