Good play, bad world

Many of the world’s problems can be traced to the sale and use of illegal drugs. From the poppy fields of Afghanistan to the streets of skid row: Where hard-core drugs go, problems follow. Addiction. Disease. Pain.

Naturally, anything that glorifies the drug trade would have to be classified as a blight on society, right? Well, in the case of Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars, not by a long shot.

Sure, one of the game’s main objectives is the buying and selling of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and acid. And yeah, the game is available only for the Nintendo DS, the premier hand-held system for children. And of course, it features all of the graphic violence and foul language of past GTA titles.

But if you put all that aside (and it is a lot to ask), Chinatown Wars is a whole lot more: It’s probably the most technically sound game ever created for the Nintendo DS.

Look past the narcotics and murders and gunplay that are intrinsic in the game’s design and you’ll see one of the best uses of the DS’ capabilities to date. Stealing some cars requires hot-wiring by using the DS’ lower touch screen. The wide-open map of Liberty City never needs time to load. The radio plays five music channels and takes a long while to get repetitive. The multiplayer modes are five twists on the standard shoot-’em-up of the single-player campaign, and they don’t stutter, skip or lag despite having multiple people connected. The graphics are fresh and sharp, a top-down view of the action reminiscent of the first GTA titles for the original PlayStation. There are even voices, something featured on only a handful of DS titles.

In short, this is the ultimate DS game, drug undertones notwithstanding. So to those adult DS gamers who understand this is really only a game, prepare to see the state of the art in DS gameplay. For everyone else, kids included: Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown.

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Grade: A (a nearly perfect DS title in every way).

Details: Nintendo DS platform; $34.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, drug references, sexual content, strong language, violence).

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The blue yonder is indeed wild

Those fabulous men and their flying machines never looked better than in Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X.

Fifty beautifully detailed planes look and fly (one would presume) like their real-life counterparts in this top-shelf aerial combat title. The controls are smoothly fluid and all the assistance available, like the on-screen displays that help you avoid pesky enemy missiles, make this accessible for both beginners and experienced pilots.

But perhaps the best element of this game is the detailed cities that serve as the backdrop to the battle. Using real-world scans from satellite imagery, the developers have successfully re-created some actual places to battle over. (The only thing keeping this from being a great flight simulator is the ability to land, which isn’t required at the conclusion of each mission.)

Although the story line gets a little incoherent at times, and the missions tend to get repetitive after a while, the action-packed air combat more than makes up for it.

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Grade: A- (awesome aerial battles.)

Details: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms; $39.99; rated Teen (alcohol reference, mild language, violence).

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Problem besides the language

Wow, Wanted: Weapons of Fate, do you kiss your mom with that mouth?

The language in this video game sequel to last year’s action blockbuster film is overpowering to the point of distraction.

The graphics are great, with rich environments with which to pop off an endless stream of bullets, and the controls are smooth and simple, even though they do tend to get a little wonky when the main character is in cover.

The problem is, though the rest of the action is pretty standard and consistent, the “boss” battles at the end of each level are incredibly difficult, no matter the difficulty setting. (Yes, even the “easy” setting is way harder than it needed to be.)

Who would have thought that “curving bullets” (the franchise’s signature move) would have been easier than beating some bad guy at the conclusion of a chapter?

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Grade: B- (the boss battles ruin an otherwise decent game).

Details: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms; $59.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, intense violence, strong language).

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Nice memories, not programming

From the roster full of past superstars (Superfly Snuka! King Kong Bundy! Iron Sheik! Ultimate Warrior!), to the on-screen graphics that mimic the era in which the show took place (was the lettering really that bad at Wrestlemania One?), WWE Legends of Wrestlemania is a lazy trip down nostalgia lane.

This grappling title (released just in time for this year’s big show) boasts more than 40 classic wrestlers to choose from (all unlocked and playable from the start of the game) and 15 Wrestlemania-themed arenas in which to do battle (I guess we’ll have to wait for Road to Wrestlemania 2 to get the last 10 years’ worth of venues). Even better, actual historical video clips set up some of the game’s classic battles that gamers can reenact however they see fit (maybe the Hulkster doesn’t slam Andre the Giant this time). And the controls are simpler than usual, which helps increase the old-school vibes.

Unfortunately, a lot of the programming feels old school too, like “PlayStation One” old school. The crowd at times stutters and shows up low resolution and the grapplers end up all over the ring during the action. Eager to remember the glory days of wrestling? Then pick this up. Looking for quality wrestling gameplay? Look elsewhere.

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Grade: C (for classic wrestling aficionados only.)

Details: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms; $59.99; rated Teen (blood, language, use of alcohol, violence).

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The don might have reservations

It’s nearly impossible to play The Godfather 2 and not compare it with the Grand Theft Auto series. After all, Godfather 2 is a crime-ridden, open-world adventure game where stealing cars is as easy as pushing a button, just like the series that changed it all, GTA.

Problem is, Godfather 2 is a vastly inferior clone. Besides the ridiculously small map compared with GTA IV’s Liberty City, the sloppy controls and really confusing story line, Godfather 2 is intrinsically flawed -- some missions require you to send a hit man to do your dirty work. Problem is, if you send the wrong proxy to do the wrong job, prepare to have to start the level all over again to move on.

Though the 3-D road map and sounds and styles from the late ‘50s add nice flavor, it’s still not enough to give this game any redeeming qualities.

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Grade: C- (an offer we can refuse).

Details: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms; $59.99; rated Mature (blood, drug reference, intense violence, nudity, sexual themes, strong language).

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