VIDEO GAME REVIEWS

'LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND'
Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PC.
Genre: Action/Adventure.
Publisher: Eidos.
Rating: T, for Teen.
Grade: C
It's almost bizarre that the Lara Croft image is almost more associated with Angelina Jolie than with the game that spawned her films. One wonders if the games and the franchise have become so successful because of the two films -- instead of the movies being an extension of the franchise.
The games were never made based on the movies, but nevertheless Lara Croft has returned at last to the realm that created her in "Legend."
The game spins a yarn that somehow involves King Arthur and Croft investigating her mother's death. Most of the game -- other than the story -- is standard "Tomb Raider" fare, as you'll spend the time guiding Lara in solving puzzles and general platforming gameplay.
Of course, this would not be a "Tomb Raider" game unless there was plenty of gunplay and acrobatic high jinks, and "Legend" is chock-full of it. With trusty dual handguns, there are plenty of real, and unreal, foes for you to blast away.
"Legend" also does a great job in giving you plenty of environments to explore -- after all, what Lara Croft game would be complete without her bounding all over the globe in search of answers?
Updating the "Tomb Raider" series has not been a triumphant endeavor. "Legend" still has a look of about year 2002 in terms of graphic presentation. On the PC it is still strong, but the platform versions just don't cut it for a game with such a large following.
This game is a good return to what originally made the franchise a fan favorite, but it lacks depth that would make it worth holding onto. The difficulty is certainly there if you seek it out, but most gamers can probably rent it and finish in the three-day period.
--Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard
'ODAMA'
Platforms: GameCube.
Genre: Arcade.
Publisher: Nintendo.
Rating: E, for Everyone.
Grade: C
Novelty is a wonderful thing; it can give rise to invention and start crazy trends that blossom into successful long-term ventures. It can also breed weird by-products that just make you scratch your head.
"Odama" is so close to fitting both definitions that you really don't know what to make of it by the time you are done playing it. Part Japanese epic strategy game, part pinball arcade zaniness, there's no real apt description other than to say it's a weird blend that you'll love or hate.
To begin, you are the commander of an undermanned, poorly equipped army that is trying to upend a sinister general who has betrayed you father. "Poorly equipped" is a misnomer because, although your conventional weaponry is bleak, you do have two gigantic advantages in the Odama and the Ninten Ball.
This is where things start to go haywire. When you go to war, the battlefield suddenly takes the shape of an enormous pinball platform. You'll control two flippers at the bottom of the screen and unleash your Odama, whacking it around the screen and crushing or destroying everything in its path. You also have a microphone into which you can shout very basic commands to your ground forces in hopes of saving them from being flattened like Weird Al in "UHF."
You use the Odama to strike the Ninten Ball, which almost entirely wipes out the other guy -- thus you can rush the castle and claim victory. The board and the characters all have the appropriate Japanese feel, and there's nothing fake or bad about it, well, except for the big ball and the flippers.
Again, there are some definite moments of comedy and fun, but gamers are either going to really enjoy it or be confused by the strange marriage of styles and pass on it quickly.
Rent this first if you have reservations, but don't be surprised if you find yourself enamored with it.
--Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard