'MARIO SUPERSTAR BASEBALL'

'MARIO SUPERSTAR BASEBALL'
Platform: GameCube.
Genre: Sports.
Publisher: Nintendo.
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone.
Grade: sss
Mario and his friends have in the last few years made strides to attack every square foot of sporting space on the market. In the tradition of "Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour" and most recently "Mario Power Tennis," Nintendo's franchise characters is take to the diamond in "Mario Superstar Baseball," with so-so results.
While the game does not strike out swinging, it squanders opportunities to hit the ball out of the park. This is mainly because the game cannot rely alone on its classic Mario-like tricks and graphical presentation to save the day; it is still a baseball game and this is where it is sometimes the least fun.
Clearly geared at younger gamers and families who don't have the time or inclination to get bogged down in sim games like "MLB 2K5" or "MVP Baseball," the choice by Nintendo to go more arcade with this game makes sense. The games are vastly quicker (15 minutes on average for Mario vs. 30-45 minutes in MVP) and there's a lot less adherence to the rules of baseball.
Sadly this does not entirely add up to a winning combination like it did in "Power Tennis" or "Mario Golf." In "Superstar Baseball" one might expect high-scoring affairs based on stereotypical Mario power-ups and so forth, but most games are pitching duels because the fields and pitchers have the advantage. Not that this is bad, and the gameplay is certainly entertaining, but you'd think for a game aimed at Mario fans there'd be more emphasis on offense than pitching.
Besides the Mario flavor and feel that Nintendo always provides with stellar results, a host of enjoyable mini-games keeps things from getting repetitive. There is also a solid single-player mode where you can develop players on your team with upgrades and coin collection.
While this game is not the best effort from Mario and his clan, it's still worth checking out if you are in the market for baseball action that isn't as time-intense as the big boys.
'DARKWATCH'
Platforms: Xbox, PlayStation 2.
Genre: Shooter.
Publisher: Capcom.
ESRB Rating: M for Mature.
Grade: ssss
There is a limited amount of games that come in the genre of old westerns. Cowboys, train robbers, ghost towns and the like just have not had their day in the sun. Well, this trend somewhat continues because there is a new outlaw on the loose, but he works by night because he's a vampire.
Jericho Cross is a train robber who stumbles his way into a vampire storyline, and becomes part of a secret police known as the "Darkwatch," protecting the land from the forces of evil, that evil being of the bloodthirsty variety. "Darkwatch" is a robust and thoroughly entertaining game, and while not long on gameplay what is there is intense, visceral and fun.
You play as Cross, and the game at first may seem like your standard first-person shooter. But quickly your focus is on the plot and your surroundings, as your gunslinger makes his way through mining shafts, satanic temples and open desert land mowing down anything without a pulse, as your enemies are legions of the undead. With an assortment of guns at your disposal (standards like dual pistols, a carbine rifle and later even a rocket launcher) there is enough firepower to take on whatever is thrown at you, and it's great to clear this hell-inspired version of the Old West of the vermin.
The game's mature rating is mainly due to the graphic nature of the violence; in addition to one cut-scene that is a bit much for youngsters, the other violence is pretty strong, though not nearly as gory as some other games. Perhaps a strong T rating would have sufficed, thus allowing a broader audience to enjoy what "Darkwatch" has to offer.
The strength of this game lays in its presentation. The environments have rich textures, and everything has a beautiful red and blue cast to it that truly makes you feel you are in a thriller with a western twist; you do get the feeling you are living the darker half of a "Good, Bad and the Ugly" kind of film.
Speaking of the Clint Eastwood classic, the game's soundtrack features a remix of that film's signature tune, which quickly sets the tone for what you can expect to be playing. The vocal work is decent enough, though Cross is silent throughout the game as a narrator and other characters advance the plot.
There are options for multiplayer and online gaming, but they do not deliver the kind of instant attention-grabbing experience that the single-player mode provides. Of course, there is the problem that a normal to advanced level gamer will probably breeze through the game in around eight hours or so, making it less attractive for buying.
Nevertheless, whether you decide to chuck down the cash for this game or just put on the chaps and boots for a rental, you will not be disappointed in what you get.
XReviews by Chris Campbell of Scripps Howard